New Democrat (Monrovia)
11 November 2009
The National Elections Commission has put the total number of registered voters participating in the November 10 by-election at 473, 923, against an earlier figure of 496, 000, which it said was an error.
An official of the National Elections Commission, Commissioner Jeanette A. Ebba-Davidson attributed the delay to the absence of state security officers to take delivery of the voting materials when they were first delivered as early as 3 AM at some of the centers.
Commissioner Ebba-Davidson said the voting materials were distributed by UN Security personnel and where they saw no state security officer to take delivery of the voting materials they passed on.
Though voting began as scheduled at few of the centers, turnouts were very low. Voting began as scheduled at the Tubman High School on 12th Street in Sinkor, where there are several voting precincts, but with a low voter turnout as compared to the 2005 general and Presidential Elections.
In addition to the low turnout at the Tubman High School polling center, some voters were confused not knowing at which precincts their number had been assigned.
Most of the precinct centers were merged for the November 10 by-election, thus creating confusion.
At the Mamawah voting center on the Old Road, NEC workers there reported that voting started as scheduled. They said the ballot papers and other materials were there as early as 6 AM. But again there was a very low turnout. At some of the precincts electoral workers sat with their hands on the desks, while party representatives sat with their legs stretched out starring at the floor. This center recorded some of the highest turnouts in District # 4 during the 2005 general elections, poll workers say though they could not readily record the figure.
Still in District # 4, Gaye Town, voting started on schedule also but with low turnout as well.
In Congo Town at the RC Lawson High School, District # 5, voting was delayed. As at 10:10
AM when this writer visited the center ballot papers and other voting materials had not been delivered.
Poll workers there gave no definite reason for the delay. About 2,151 voters were said to have registered there during the 2005 elections. Party representatives and potential voters were seen in several groups, with some expressing frustration over the delay.
Still in District #5, at the Paynesville Town, voting started as late as about some minutes after 10 AM, according to poll workers, who attributed the delay to the late arrival of ballot papers and other voting materials.
There are six precincts here and all clustered in the edifice of the Town Hall. There were very interesting scenes, where party representatives tried to ensure that accompanied voters, especially the aged, indeed needed the required help.
At the Whein Town Public School around the Mount Barclay area, jut several meters from the Coca Cola Factory in Paynesville, turnout was very low. Poll workers were seen standing at the entrance of precincts, as party representatives sat with nothing to pen down.
A poll supervisor, Joseph T Nabiedu, when asked as to how many people had so far voted declined to give a figure, but said people were trickling in.
Voting here, he said started on time. The Center was visited by a US Embassy official, Robert Gonzales. Mr. Gonzales quizzed the polling officers as to the procedures that were being implemented.
At Fendell, where poll workers said voting began on time, a self-styled rights advocate, told this writer that voters in some of the inaccessible areas were willing to vote but needed transportation to come to the polling centers.
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2009 New Democrat. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
