Long, winding queues at some registration centres(Page 17) 12 August 2008

Story:Michael Donkor

THE two days extension granted by the Electoral Commission (EC) for the voter registration exercise has done nothing about the long and winding queues at some registration centres in Accra.
The Daily Graphic, during a visit to five centres in Accra yesterday observed longer queues at the Kingsby Roundabout at New Achimota, Burma Camp, La Cathedral near the Olympia Cinema, Teshie and Adabraka.
Some of the centres had limited registration materials resulting in a very slow pace of the exercise.
Most of the prospective voters who spoke to the Daily Graphic said they had come to the centres as early as 4.30 am to avoid long queues but ended up in that situation as some people already there had secured places for their friends and relatives who came to cross the queue.
They complained that the queue continued to grow longer and longer because the registration exercise was very slow with the registration officers intermittently breaking to sort out issues on registration materials.
Despite the queues, the anxious voters maintained their cool at the centres and waited patiently in the scorching sun for their turn.
The registration officials who would not allow themselves to be distracted by the occasional misunderstandings of the prospective voters worked assiduously to get them registered.
They expressed satisfaction on how the exercise was moving but said much as they tried to register the people the number kept swelling.
They said occasionally there were some minors who had attempted to register but were turn away after explaining the consequences to them.
The prospective voters said if the queue should continue to move at such a slow pace then the extension period by the EC would not be enough for all the people to be registered before the closing date.