PARLIAMENTARY BY-ELECTIONS UNDERWAY IN JIRAPA.

Barring any last minute hitches, 43,056 registered voters in Jirapa Constituency of Upper West Region would on Tuesday, cast their ballots in 105 polling stations to elect a successor to Mr Edward Kojo Salia, former National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament who died in February this year.The three contestants are Dr Francis Bawaana Dakurah for the NDC, Mr Justin Dakorah for New Patriotic Party (NPP) and Miss Joycelin Ansiena for Democratic People's Party (DPP).Mr Yahaya Mahama, Upper West Regional Director of Electoral Commission, speaking to Ghana News Agency at Wa, said 345 polling staff had been recruited for the exercise.He said 105 police personnel would be deployed to maintain security at all the polling stations and was optimistic that the poll would be conducted smoothly without any infraction of the prevailing peace in the constituency.All election materials have already been dispatched to Jirapa, the constituency headquarters for distribution to the polling stations before the exercise begins in the morning.This is the first bye-election to be held during the Fifth Parliament of the Fourth Republic which is three months old. Political activities were stepped up in the constituency at the weekend by the two major contending political parties with the NDC leaving no stone unturned in its endeavour to retain the seat while the NPP made frantic efforts to cause an upset.On Sunday, the NDC held a well attended rally at Jirapa attended by the Founder, former President Jerry John Rawlings and Vice President John Dramani Mahama and some National Executive Officers.Nana Ohene Ntow, General Secretary of NPP, and some leading members of the Party including some Members of Parliament were also in the constituency to whip up support for their candidate.
Source:GNA