New Voter Registration: Political Parties Admonished To Eschew Political Violence

Asutifi North DCE, Anthony Mensah

The District Security Council(DISEC) of Asutifi North in Ahafo Region has urged political parties to channel their challenges related to the ongoing voter's registration exercise to the appropriate quarters to avert any form of violence in the district.

DISEC disclosed this at a meeting termed external due to the inclusion of political parties, district director of Electoral Commission(EC) and security services from the regional level to generally assess the ongoing voter's registration exercise by the EC in the constituency.

Addressing journalists after the meeting, the District Chief Executive(DCE), Honourable(Hon) Anthony Mensah said, although the political parties and EC have commended DISEC for ensuring peaceful exercise that does not mean the security council must not review it plans as the exercise progresses.

According to Hon. Anthony Mensah who doubles as the Chairman of DISEC, since the exercise revolves around human beings definitely there will be challenges but that must not result to violence just like how the media have let them know that some constituencies have recorded some form of casualties all in the violence.

He explained the registration exercise which will permit Ghanaians to elect a president and 275 members of parliament to steer the affairs of the country for four years after 2020 has rules and regulations that must be adhered and respected at any point in time when political parties have issues that need to be addressed. He said instituting violence at the centres must not be entertained because aside the constituency recording casualties, the image of it would be painted black to the world preventing development to thrive as expected.

" DISEC has partner EC to tackle your challenges with urgency so violence must be out of the picture " Hon. Anthony Mensah stated.

He also urged the leaders of the political parties who were presented with a number of face masks and hand sanitizers to be given to their members who do not have the said items at their disposal, to educate their members on the need for them to comply with all the laid down COVID-19 protocols to avert the wide spread of the virus by the close of the entire exercise.

He added that DISEC will keep monitoring the exercise to assist it get first hand information in order to map up excellent strategies for peaceful exercise.

The Director of EC for Asutifi North District, Franklina Osei Assibey took time to addressed all questions directed to the EC from the political parties and the members of DISEC for better understanding. She therefore assured them of transparent exercise for the people to avert any form of misunderstanding.

She pleaded with the leaders of the parties to help sensitize the people on the need for them to respect the protocols of COVID-19 at the centres especially the social distancing which is a major tool in fighting the virus. According to her, there is no way her outfit will disenfranchise any eligible voter because it is against the country's law so therefore, people must be urged to come out and register.

All the security services present at the meeting expressed their readiness to ensure that peace reign at all the centres till the exercise ends. They told the leaders of the parties thus, the chairmen, parliamentary candidates and secretaries who showed up at the meeting to educate their members o the exercise in order not to create any violence even they have genuine challenge because the security will not spear such persons irrespective of who they are.

" No excuses and apologies would be accepted when people are apprehended for allegedly causing distractions at centres " the security services stated.

Hon. Patrick Banor the Parliamentary Candidate for NPP and Hon. Ebenezer Kwaku Addo the Parliamentary Candidate for NDC jointly promised DISEC of staying away from any form of violence at the centres. They revealed that the measures put in place by the EC for the exercise are on point although there are minor issues been rectified immediately they pop up and it is plus.

According to the two, DISEC has also been on top of security matters because the constituency has not recorded any form of violence. They told the members of DISEC headed by the DCE to keep on being proactive to make the exercise peaceful and one of the best in the country.

They, therefore, urged the police to enforce the people to keenly respect the protocols of COVID-19 because the Ghanaians will not take it lightly with key stakeholders if cases are recorded out of the exercise.

A Section Of DISEC Members At The Meeting