EC Identifies 13 More Hotspots

The Electoral Commission (EC) has reportedly identified 13 additional hotspots in the upcoming general elections.

Chief Superintendent Dr Benjamin Agordzo, the Director of Operations of the Ghana Police Service, revealed this yesterday at a forum held at the Institute of Democratic Governance (IDEG) Accra to express the preparedness of the police to ensure peaceful elections in the 2016.

The forum formed part of the Institute of Democratic Governance and Civic Forum Initiative (IDEG-CFI) 'Peaceful Elections and Credible Outcomes in Ghana Project – 2016.'

According to him, the EC, which made the disclosure to the police service recently, was planning to inform the citizenry.

Dr. Agordzo, who spoke on behalf of the National Elections Security Taskforce and the Inspector General of Police (IGP), said the 13 additional hotspots are spread across the 10 regions.

In September this year, EC Chairperson, Charlotte Osei, speaking at a national colloquium organized by the Kofi Annan International Peace Keeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) on the security of the upcoming elections, disclosed that the electoral body had identified 81 hotspots in the 275 constituencies nationwide.

 
We're ready
Despite the high number of hotspots, Dr. Agordzo urged Ghanaians not to panic because, as he puts it, the police administration and other national security agencies were doing everything possible to ensure peace before, during and after the polls.

According to him, the National Elections Security Taskforce, headed by the IGP, shall as part of measures, deploy trained security personnel to all 29,000 polling stations countrywide and zone some stations to enhance mobile patrol.

He also pointed out that regional rapid response teams had been formed nationwide to ensure peaceful polls.

He said the taskforce shall adopt a four-tier deployment approach for the elections and provide security at ballot paper printing houses and collation centres.

Drone
He announced that the National Elections Security Taskforce has acquired a drone to be used for monitoring the various polling stations, among others.

 
More prosecution
Dr. Agordzo explained that this year, the security forces shall intensify prosecution of people across the country.

“We shall intensify the capacity of our officers to understand the difference between assault/crimes and electoral offenses.

Project
To help make the elections peaceful with credible outcomes in the 2016 polls, IDEG and the CFI conceptualized the peaceful and credible elections Project 2016 with support from STAR-Ghana and the Ford Foundation.

Executive Director of IDEG, Dr. Emmanuel O. Akwetey, in a statement, explained that IDEG and CFI intend to make the era of turbulence in elections in Ghana a thing of the past.

He stated that Ghanaians should collectively work hard to ensure free, fair and transparent elections, noting that the electorate must be vigilant.

By Melvin Tarlue