Top stories from the newspapers for 10th April are as follows:
1. Biometric registration exercise updates; security, statistics
2. Ghanaians to ensure peaceful elections
The Daily Graphic brings to our notice that Police tightens security at registration centres. The Police Administration has directed all regional Police Commanders to beef up security at the biometric voters registration centres under their jurisdiction to ensure peaceful registration. It said security in the areas identified as flashpoints in the ongoing biometric registration exercise needed to be strengthened to ensure a successful outcome of the 40 days exercise. On page 16, the paper reveals that The New Patriotic Party 's parliamentary candidate for the Tain Constituency in the Brong Ahafo Region is in the grip of the police for his alleged involvement in violence at the Sabieh registration centre. With the headline NPP candidate for Tain , 5 others arrested, the paper adds that Mr. Ofori Amanfo and five other party activists who were picked up on Saturday have not been formally charged.
In a related development, the Daily Graphic indicates that the Electoral Commission (EC) has ordered the arrest of two registration officials in the Komenda Edina Eguafo Abrem District for allegedly aiding minors to register. The officials have been identified as Mr. Isaam Mbeah, a registration officer responsible for special duty, and Mr. Richard Ackon, an assistant registration officer. The paper captures this on its page 19 story entitled EC orders arrest of registration officials. More on the voter registration exercise as EC has been urged to prosecute people in double voting. Participants of a workshop on the biometric registration exercise at Winneba have suggested to the Electoral Commission to prosecute people involved in multiple registration and to delete their names from the register. The Ghanaian Times adds that this will serve as a deterrent to others and help ensure a credible voter register.
The Daily Graphic on its front page reveals that Sixteen days into the 40-days biometric voters registration exercise, the Electoral Commission (EC) has registered a provisional figure of 6.5million voters. With the headline Biometric registration: 6.5 million register, the paper states that according to a source at the EC, the Number of applicants registered so far was 35 percent ahead of target , since the EC had only expected to register about 4.8 million voters during the period. The Daily Dispatch in a related report states that first Phase of Biometric Registration; Ashanti registers over 945,000 voters. Figures coming out from the first phase of the ongoing biometric voters' registration indicate a very encouraging turnout. Ashanti Region is said to have registered more than 945,000 voters. Central region is said to have also registered nearly 422,000 voters.
The Crusading Guide has reported that Chiefs of Akuse declare war against EC. The Chiefs and people of Akuse have warned that they would be forced to disrupt the 2012 general elections if they are not registered by the electoral commission in the ongoing registration exercise. Speaking in an exclusive interview with this reporter, Mr. George Amanor, Spokesperson for the Chief of Akuse warned the Electoral Commission to desist from kowtowing to orders of politicians in the ongoing registration exercise and ignore the private inter –meddling effort of the Lower Manya District Assembly Chief Executive to undermine the rule of law.
News from the Daily Guide indicates that there have been disruptions in the biometric registration exercise as students are being thwarted from voting. Nzema students who are natives of Ellembelle in the Western Region were almost beaten to pulp by suspected NDC thugs resident in the area on Good Friday. Also on page 10, it further reports that some Residents at Kenyasi number one on Thursday prevented final year students of OLA Girls Senior High School at Kenyasi in Asutifi District of Brong Ahafo from registering in the on-going biometric voters registration exercise.
Following several misconducts during the ongoing biometric exercise, President John Evans Atta Mills has charged Ghanaians not to leave anything to chance in ensuring peaceful elections, come December. He said'' the nation's peace in non negotiable'' and urged Ghanaians to help guard jealously the peace and stability the country was enjoying. The Ghanaian Times reports this in the headline Prez charges Ghanaians to ensure peaceful elections. This is how we end the day's review of the newspapers.
This daily news review is compiled by African Elections Project (AEP) Media Monitoring Centre, Accra, Ghana.
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