Ayawaso by-election: Security setup created tension among security operatives – CDD

The Center for Democratic Development (CDD) has faulted the security setup for Thursday’s by-election held in Ayawaso West Wuogon constituency.  

“Ayawaso does not have the characteristics of a troubled constituency to require the level of security presence that was deployed yesterday. CODEO observers made it absolutely clear that it was counterproductive,” Director for Advocacy and Policy Engagement at the CDD said.

Describing it as a “strange one,” Dr. Kwadwo Asante, speaking on Joy 99.7 FM’s Super Morning Show Thursday, said the security arrangement gave rise to tension even among the various security operatives who were deployed to keep the peace of the constituency for a successful election.

“There were issues with coordination and a lot of security agencies were not talking to each other. It created even tension among security operatives at the polls and that is really a worry.”

It is the position of Dr. Asante that this tension among the security agencies was because “the security [they] had not been prepped to work together.”

Violence on Election Day

On Thursday, Joy News reported that just hours into the by-election, some armed men clothed in National Security apparel stormed the La Bawalashie Presby polling station.

 Eyewitnesses said the armed men fired shots and attacked some agents believed to be opposition NDC agents.

According to the report, the shots lasted 20 minutes. Police intervened as the attacks continued. The men, according to eyewitnesses, also stormed the home of NDC candidate, Delali Kwesi Brempong.

Following the violence, the National Chairman of the NDC, Samuel Ofosu Ampofo told Joy FM’s Super Morning Show that the party has withdrawn from the elections for security reasons.

Dr. Asante has therefore admonished government and other election stakeholders to use what happened at Ayawaso as a wake-up call to make adequate preparations for the pending Presidential and Parliamentary elections scheduled for the year 2020.

“There are lot of reflections which have to be done around security arrangement for elections. I mean if yesterday was any sign of what to come in 2020, thank God we have ample time to correct these things because we are really putting ourselves in harm’s way.”

 

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