By-Election Violence: Police, Fire Service and Immigration Were Seated Quiet─ EC

The Electoral Commission (EC) has denied claims the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election was marred by violence and intimidation.

In a statement issued by the Chairperson of the EC, Jean Mensah, the police, fire service and immigration personnel deployed at the La Bawaleshie polling station were seated quite far from the polling booth.

She noted that the police personnel who were deployed to the 137 polling stations and were not armed gave citizens the freedom and liberty to vote without any intimidation.

Meanwhile, there were reports of armed men in black top and khaki pants with facial masks beating and shooting members believed to be supporters of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC).

But Jean Mensah claims those men, who were also part of the security cordon at the voting centre did not intimidate people from exercising their franchise.

The EC’s press statement comes at the back of the reports issued by the Coalition of Domestic Election Observers (CODEO) on the conduct of the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-elections.

In addition to the claim above, the EC also rejected two other allegations made in the CODEO’s report; allegation of the incident of shooting at LaBawaleshie and attack on security personnel at Prison’s JHS polling station.

Whiles the EC condemns the act of violence at the private residence of the NDC’s Parliamentary candidate, it also strongly speaks against the alleged violence linked with the work of the EC.