ALL IS SET FOR JIRAPA BY-ELECTION TODAY (PAGE 15)

All is set for a free, fair and transparent by-election in the Jirapa Constituency today.
The Jirapa District Electoral Officer, Mr Jackson Annoh, said all the necessary electoral materials, including ballot papers and boxes were intact and in the custody of the police.
These, he said, would be transported with the consent of representatives of the participating political parties to the respective polling centres early this morning.
Relatedly, the police administration has also deployed a contingent of 200 officers to maintain the peace at the Jirapa Constituency during today’s by-election.
This, he explained, was to ensure a smooth election.
Mr Jackson Annoh allayed any fears of shortage of materials, saying, “the Electoral Commission (EC) was up to the task”.
He called on all eligible voters in the constituency to come out in their numbers and vote, pointing out that the by-elections was very significant in the country’s democratic dispensation.
Mr Annoh further stressed the need for the electorate to be law abiding during the process and said that would add up to the successful organisation of the by-elections.
The Deputy Upper West Regional Police Commander, ACP Augustine Gyening, who was speaking to the Daily Graphic, said apart from the police personnel who would be dispatched to all the polling centres, other security operatives would be patrolling the constituency while some would be on standby.
He advised the electorate to go out early and cast their votes peacefully while abiding by all the election rules and regulations.
Meanwhile, the Jirapa Constituency has been besieged by party stalwarts, especially national executive and Members of Parliament (MP)’s from the two main political parties, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) as they canvassed for votes in the round up to today’s election.