Two communities boycott run-off voting in Ghana

The Chiefs and people of Jumbo and New Agou in the Nkwanta-South constituency did not vote in the presidential run-off in Ghana, Sunday December 28, 2008, the Ghana News Agency (GNA) has reported.

According to the report, the two communities were protesting a political decision by government in making them part of a constituency.

The communities earlier on expressed their protest when they boycotted the Presidential and Parliamentary elections of December 7 citing being made part of the Nkwanta-South instead of the Nkwanta-North Constituency.

The GNA quoted Nana Laso III, as saying that the two communities had no problem with the Presidential elections of December 7, but they were compelled to boycott it because it was taking place simultaneously with the parliamentary elections.

According to him the two communities would resist any attempts to impose the elections on them.

In the report, the GNA quoted Mr Thomas Afo-Dodoo, Nkwanta District Director of the Electoral Commission (EC) as saying that he did not want to endanger the lives of anybody by conducting the Presidential run-off in the two communities.

Meanwhile response to voting in the Kpassa town was less enthusiastic than the December 7 election, the report said.

By Emmanuel K. Dogbevi