Police Plan For Free Elections Up North
SENIOR police officers in the three northern regions are strategising to meet the challenge of ensuring violence free elections this December.
The three regional commanders and their divisional officers met, in Tamale on Saturday to map up strategies to deal with any pre and post-election breaches of the law in known flash points.
Addressing the meeting, Mr Ephraim Okoe Brakatu, Commissioner of Police in charge of Northern, Upper East and Upper West regions, said measures have been put in place to prevent the upsurge of election-related disputes that might degenerate into conflicts.
The measures, he said, are collaborations with relevant stakeholders like the Electoral Commission, the political party leaders and civil society including the media and provision of transport and communication equipment to the Police Service to carry out their duties with ease.
The meeting comes in the wake of pockets of conflicts, such as the Dagbon, Bimbilla, Kusawgu and Yapei chieftaincy disputes, the Konkombo-Bimoba communal violence and the Mamprusi-Kusasi conflicts that have claimed a number of lives with property destroyed.
Mr Brakatu said that though it was the constitutional mandate of the police to maintain internal peace and security, it was also imperative for all to assist in achieving peace in these areas.
He, therefore, called for closer co-operation from the public, especially political party leaders, and their supporters.
Mr Brakatu urged the media to help in tackling the many social challenges like chieftaincy and political violence in these areas.
"The media has a tremendous task towards national development and this includes safeguarding the peace and the democratic process by sensitising the citizenry on their responsibilities," he added.
Mr Brakatu reminded political parties of the Public Order Act 491 which enjoins public event organisers to notify the police of such gatherings five days before other events, giving the assurance that permission will be given "based on first come first-served basis without prejudice to any political party".