'We're Ready For Task'

THE National Election Security Task Force, tasked to provide security at the polling centres  held its final meeting yesterday at the Police Headquarters ahead of the December 7 election.

At a debriefing, the chairman of the Task Force, Patrick Kwarteng Acheampong, the IGP, said it had prepared adequately towards the election and urged the public to play their role well to ensure violence-free election.

Mr. Kwarteng said the Task Force would not tolerate any acts of indiscipline, confusion or violence at the polling centres adding that it was criminal for any person, group of persons or political party to cause confusion at polling centres.

Anybody who will be arrested in connection with any act of vandalism will be prosecuted in accordance with the laws of the country.

Mr. Kwarteng assured the public that the task force would be neutral, fair and professional in the discharge of their duties.

Asked about calls from some people in the Volta Region for the removal of the Police Commander, Bernard Dery for alleged bias against some political parties, Mr. Kwarteng said the Ghana Police Service as a professional institution was guided by rules and regulations and it would be unprofessional on his part to remove the commander because of a mere allegation or request by some  people.

That request, he said, would be difficult to grant and appealed, to those who have anything against the Regional Commander to petition the Police Administration or Police Council.

The director of election at the EC Albert Kofi Arhin, said the Electoral Commission had made available to the police, the list of over 70,000 people who were engaged in multiple registration for appropriate action to be taken. 

He said the names would be published in the media before the election.

The voters register he said, was opened so that people would help the EC to clean it explaining that after the register was cleaned, it was given to a magistrate to certify it to make it authentic.

He said preparations were far advanced to transport voting materials to the districts and regions.

Mr. Arhin said about 5,000 lanterns have been distributed to polling stations nationwide to be used as a backup when lights go out.

National Security coordinator Dr. Sam G. Amoo said for now the country's borders were safe and no decision had been taken yet on whether they should be closed or not.

Dr. Amoo was responding to question from the media as to whether the borders would be closed.