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Some of the Security personnel on a route match.
Some of the Security personnel on a route match.

Can Elections Task force deal with electoral trouble?

Since Ghana returned to democratic rule in 1992, this year’s elections will be the seventh.

For many, each election should have witnessed a calmer atmosphere. But that is not the case.

We have had tensions rise each election year just as the number of hotspots or flashpoints keep soaring. Coupled with the challenges associated with our elections are also cases of fighting, ballot box snatching and the use of elections to settle scores along the lines of chieftaincy and land disputes.

It was to help preserve the sanctity, peace and stability of the elections that the concept of National Elections Security Taskforce was developed to deploy security personnel across the length and breadth of the country to protect the integrity of our elections.

 Certainly, not because the Electoral Commission (EC) cannot conduct the elections but they simply cannot do it without adequate security.

The security task force is, therefore, to ensure that there is a conducive atmosphere devoid of disruptions to enable the EC to carry out its mandate without fear. And to adequately cover all the polling stations requires that the security agencies map out strategies to deal with any security breaches.

Jeopardy

As a member of the task force, Commissioner of Police (COP) Mr Christian Tetteh Yohuno told the Daily Graphic, “if we do not have security in place, the safety and security of the EC officials will be in jeopardy hence the need to protect the system to ensure free elections devoid of intimidation.”

According to him, the security taskforce was not taking over the work of the EC but to serve as a backbone for the EC. He explained that although it was a purely police duty, the Police Administration have had to seek the assistance of other security agencies to implement the strategies mapped out for the elections.

The taskforce is replicated in the regions, divisions and districts in line with the structure of the Ghana Police Service.

To ensure efficiency and effectiveness, seven subcommittees have been set up under the National Elections Security Taskforce, viz joint operations, media, logistics, investigations and prosecution, ballot protection and personnel mobilisation.

The task force operates under a National Operations Order that outlines how duties are to be performed and how personnel are to conduct themselves before, during and immediately after the declaration of results until the swearing in.

Deployment

Mr Yohuno said the deployment of personnel would be based on a four-tier process. This will include deployment at the polling station, patrols, rapid response and reserve force at the national, regional and district levels.

Without giving details, Mr Yohuno said adequate measures had been put in place to deal with any breaches, explaining that giving too much information on operational issues would be empowering the trouble makers to adopt counter measures.

“I can, however, assure the electorate that be it ballot box snatching, intimidation, among other challenges, we will deal with it” he stated.

He said it was to safeguard the sanctity of the process that guidelines had been set for the security personnel.

For instance, he said security personnel who would be deployed on December 7, 2016 were not to take part in the administration of the elections.

“It is not your duty to check the voter ID cards of voters; it is not your duty to assist any person to vote or tell any person who to vote for. You should not do anything to suggest that you favour any political party or candidate,” the taskforce admonished security personnel.

He explained that the deployment of the security personnel was to protect the process to be executed by the (EC).

He said security personnel were also not to accept any gifts and favours from any stakeholder in the elections, as the personnel would be taken care of by the taskforce.

Mr Yohuno, who is the Director-General of Police Operations, explained that accepting such offers could be interpreted as attempts to influence the personnel.

He said security personnel were not to leave the polling stations during the voting, counting and declaration of results on election day.

He further reminded them not to go to the polling stations drunk.

Deployment

Mr Yohuno said deployment of security personnel would be done at the Black Star Square in Accra on December 5, 2016 to all the regions where the regional security task forces would further deploy them to the divisions and districts.

He explained that there would be a four-tier deployment before, during and after the elections.

According to him, there would be deployment to the polling stations, patrols, rapid response and reserve forces at the national, regional and district levels, in line with the National Operations Order of the Elections Security Taskforce.

He said the military would be on standby and would only be involved to assist when the police were overwhelmed.

Patrols

Mr Yohuno said from December 5, 2016, patrols would be intensified throughout the country to reassure Ghanaians that everything was under control.

He explained that the patrols would seek to deal with any attacks emanating from jubilations and ballot box snatchers and deal immediately with trouble at the hotspots.

The hotspots, he explained, had been catalogued based on chieftaincy, land guards and heightened political tension due to the competitiveness of elections in those areas.

After voting

Mr Yohuno advised the electorate to go home or to their workplaces after casting their ballots, saying they could return after 5 p.m. to witness the counting of the ballots.

He explained that all the political parties would have their agents at the polling stations to superintendent over the parties’ interests, hence there would be no need for the electorate to mass up while the voting took place.

He said for those who would want to monitor the process, they must keep the requisite distance as spelt out by the EC.

No bussing

Mr Yohuno appealed to the political parties and the candidates not to bus prospective voters to the polling stations.

He explained that the bussing of voters to polling stations had the tendency to rouse suspicion and tension and, thereby fuel conflict.

He urged voters not to attempt to form queues by using objects and also not to attempt to jump the voting queues.

 

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