The security agencies charged with the responsibility of overseeing the December 7 General Elections has sent a stern warning to interested parties in the upcoming elections not to send thugs to any of the polling stations.
According to DCOP Dr Sayibu Pabi Gariba, Director of Operations, Ghana Police Service, the security agency has constituted a National Election taskforce for the purpose of ensuring peaceful elections come December this year.
He said this special taskforce comprising officers from the Ghana Police Service, Ghana Fire Service, Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority, and a host of security agencies, have been given special training for the purposes of the election. Therefore, the presence of people who are not part of this election taskforce at the various polling stations can cause violence, DCOP Gariba pointed out.
“Don’t deploy anyone who is not part of the National Security Task Force to any polling station.
We have been training our people for the 2020 elections, so don’t deploy thugs who are not part of it,” he warned.
Mr Gariba made the comments at an engagement organised by the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs (MoPA) yesterday in Accra.
The event, which was hinged on the theme: “2020 Election and its implications for peace and security in Ghana,” is in support of the confidence building initiatives by the state and non-state actors towards peaceful election in December, this year.
It is also aimed at encouraging a broad national consensus on the relationship between peace and national development in Ghana. Specifically, the programme seeks to highlight critical emerging security threats as election 2020 approaches, and provide an overview of the preparedness of the security agencies to provide a safe and secured environment for the conduct of the polls.
It was also to elicit the support of the security agencies, political parties, and candidates in the conduct of peaceful, free, fair, transparent and accountable elections, as well as establish a relationship between the MoPA and the security agencies in Ghana, to enhance the peace and security of the state.
The participants were drawn from the leadership of Parliament, the security agencies, political parties, independent governance institutions, National Security, chief directors, management and staff of the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, and the media.
Mr Gariba indicated that there were so many issues that can trigger electoral violence, hence, the preparation it was making to ensure such violence acts are curtailed.
The DCOP indicated that over the years, issues such as snatching of ballot boxes, late arrival of electoral materials and faulty electoral materials, prevention of legal voters from voting were some of the issues that have resulted in violence.
He indicated that the security agencies have learnt from these occurrences over the years, and have prepared their men for it.
He said the personnel of the election taskforce have been trained on how to protect the voters for them to exercise their right.
He stated that they had also been given training to protect the ballot boxes and other election materials. He opined that their men were well prepared to provide security for the election, hence, his plea to other interested parties to halt their plans of sending thugs to electoral centers to cause confusion.
He stated that anyone who would be caught in the act would be dealt with appropriately as the law requires. He said in order for people to identify who these personnel of the special taskforce are, they will be in uniform. “The officers will be in uniform. If anyone who portrays himself as a security personnel, and in that day is not in uniform, he is not one of us.”
He indicated that the military, on the other hand, will patrol the various stations to also ensure that things are in order.
Mr Gariba called on all stakeholders in election management, especially the political parties, to do their part in ensuring peaceful elections, while the security agencies also do their part.
The Minister for Parliamentary Affairs and Majority Leader in Parliament, Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, also tasked the security personnel to monitor all flashpoints to ensure that all violent acts are curtailed in those areas.
He advised the security agencies to also exhibit professionalism in their work, by treating all parties the same. He observed that Ghana is bigger than any political party, so no one party should be preferred over the other.
He said the nation had organised several elections and had not burnt, and will certainly not burn, come December 2020. He charged all the parties to prepare to accept the outcome of the elections for peace to reign.
However, even if anyone wants to challenge or criticise the outcome, it should be one that will inform and educate the citizens on rights and wrongs, and not one that will destroy the country.
Brigadier General Dr E.W. Kotia, Defence and Security Expert, who also spoke at the event, advised his colleague security personnel to be neutral in their dealings.
He indicated that their activities could also trigger violence, hence they should act as professionals. He said they should ensure that the taskforce they had created was an impartial one that will deal with all issues equally.
He charged them to create an environment for people to vote freely without fear and intimidation, and ensure that all rival groups are not attacked.
The post Director of Police Operations warns political parties: Don’t Dare Deploy Thugs @ Polling Stations! appeared first on The Chronicle Online.
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