Drunk Party Agents To Be Sacked

Any party agent who would be found drunk on December 7 would be sacked from the polling station. Mr Stephen Bertino, the Electoral Officer in charge of Gomoa East and West Districts who gave the caution, advised party officials and parliamentary candidates to ensure that their agents go to the polling stations in a sober state.

"I will not entertain any drunkard at the polling stations under my jurisdiction," Mr Bertino stressed at a workshop for party agents at Apam. The workshop formed part of the national exercise being conducted by the Electoral Commission (EC) to educate party agents on election procedure and the electoral laws. Mr Stephen Bertino reminded the party agents that their duty at the polling stations would be to observe voting and that they had no right to take part in the duties of the officials appointed by the EC.

He said: "You have the right to point out anything which you feel goes contrarily to the electoral laws but cannot enforce its correction there and then. The best you can do is to request for a complaint form to fill your protest." Mr. Bertino said that party agents have no right to prevent eligible voters from voting. He said that registered voters who had misplaced their ID Cards could vote provided their names could be found in the voters' register.


Mr Bertino asked political parties to advise their agents to refrain from confrontations among themselves or with the electorate to ensure peace and order at the polling stations. Similar workshops had been held at Dawurampong and Eshiem in the Gomoa West, and Afranse, Mangoase and Potsin in the Gomoa East Constituency.

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