The Ghana Police Service will deploy drones at conflict-prone areas in the Assin North Constituency to capture situations of conflict and violence in real time during today’s by-election.
Also, absolutely no weapon will be allowed at the polling stations in an election which would be supervised strictly by regular police personnel.
These are part of security measures the Ghana Police Service has taken to ensure a violence-free election.
They are part of the ground rules established for the by-election during a meeting at Assin Bereku on Monday with leaders of the political parties and the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Dr George Akuffo Dampare.
Security in the constituency has been extremely beefed up with thousands of police personnel deployed to the area to ensure today’s by-election is peaceful, while the Electoral Commission (EC) says it has made adequate provision to ensure that the rain did not have any adverse impact on the election.
IGP/parties meeting
The IGP and the Police High Command met the leadership of the two major parties, the NDC and the NPP, in a closed door meeting ahead of the by-election.
Graphic Online gathered that the IGP cautioned the political parties to abide by the rules of the election and to desist from any acts that could compromise the security of the area.
While assuring the constituents of a peaceful election, the Police Administration warned all to desist from acts that would disrupt the peace of the area.
No motorbikes
Addressing the media personnel shortly after the meeting, Dr Dampare explained that no motorbikes would be allowed at polling stations.
Also, voters would not be allowed to take mobile phones into the voting booths.
Again, the IGP indicated that the meeting agreed that party paraphernalia were also not allowed at the polling centres.
EC
The Central Regional Director of the EC, Gladys Pinkrah, told the Daily Graphic that the polling stations were located mostly in schools which meant that the rain would not affect voting at those centres.
She stated that for the others which were not in sheltered places, canopies would be used to ensure that voting went on smoothly.
The constituency has experienced a lot of downpour this season which could disrupt today’s exercise but the EC assured that it had made provision for a smooth exercise even if it rained.
Mrs Pinkrah said the ballot boxes would also be in polythene bags to ensure that the voting materials were not destroyed if it rained.
The Regional Director of the EC stated that all voting materials were ready and available, adding that the EC was optimistic that the election would be smooth.
“For our part, we are ready. We don’t have any challenges,” she added.
“We have also made available polythene bags in which the materials and ballot boxes would be kept so that the materials are not destroyed by possible rains,” Mrs Pinkrah said.
Traditional authorities
The traditional authorities in the constituency have on separate fora stressed the peace of the area was paramount to them.
The Chief of Assin Dansame, Okofo Dr Twum Barimah, in an interview with the Daily Graphic, asked constituents to desist from acts likely to disrupt the peace in the area.
“The election is not war. Everybody must come together to seek peace,” he stated.
Okofo Twum Barimah warned persons who planned to create commotion and chaos during the election to desist from such behaviour.
No intimidation
Okofo Barimah also urged the security personnel to ensure that there was a conducive environment to allow constituents to exercise their franchise.
He said the security agencies must protect all constituents and ensure that there was no form of intimidation, threats or fear from any quarters that would prevent the electorate from exercising their franchise.
“No matter what, there should be no intimidation, no threatening, don’t put fear in anybody, make sure everybody has his right to vote.”
He said there were rumours of people who had come into the constituency to create confusion, urging the security agencies to be alert.
Okofo Barimah appealed to the electorate and all political functionaries to play to the electoral rules to ensure a peaceful election.
Two parties
The National Chairmen of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, and the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Stephen Ntim, respectively, also addressed the media at Assin Bereku after the meeting yesterday.
Mr Asiedu Nketiah said the party was satisfied with the ground rules set for the election and was willing to comply with all arrangements outlined by the police to ensure a peaceful election.
He said the party had confidence in the police and was certain it would be a peaceful election.
For his part, the Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Stephen Ntim, said the NPP was prepared to ensure a violence-free election.
He indicated that the party would collaborate with the police to ensure the election was peaceful.
Mr Ntim added that the government had delivered development projects and the party was convinced of victory.
Voter statistics
Today’s poll will see 41,168 constituents expected to turn out at the 99 polling stations in Assin North in what has been described as a critical by-election that would determine who controls the country’s legislature.
For the past few weeks the constituency has been a battle field as party bigwigs, including President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Vice-President Mahamudu Bawumia and former President John Dramani Mahama had all joined the election campaign to canvass for votes for their respective parliamentary candidates.
Many voters have intimated that they would turn out massively to vote, rain or shine, for who should represent them in Parliament.
Some of them indicated that it was unfortunate that the Member of Parliament for the constituency who was elected in 2020 had a brush with the law which had eventually led to his removal from Parliament and consequently the by-election.
The residents said the by-election would hopefully bring closure and finality to who held the seat.
A resident of Assin Praso, Benedicta Ofori, said she was ready to cast her vote and that the by-election would be her first time of casting her ballot in any election.
Maame Kyaah, also a resident of Assin Praso, said she was ready to exercise her franchise.
“Even if I fall sick I will let someone carry me to the polling station to cast my vote. This is an important election for us and I want to be part,” she stated.
Background
The Assin North by-election has been occasioned by the eviction of the NDC MP, James Gyakye Quayson, following a court application over his allegiance to Canada at the time of filing to contest the election.
The NDC has put up Mr Quayson again to contest the seat and he is being challenged by the NPP’s Charles Opoku in a two-horse race, with the Liberal Party of Ghana also putting up Bernice Enyonam Sefenu.
Source:Graphic.com.gh
