With the 2016 General Elections around the corner the Obuasi Election Security Taskforce on Tuesday, 29th March, 2016 met leaders of Political Parties in the Obuasi Municipality in Obuasi.
The meeting was the first of a series of meetings lined up by the Security Taskforce to engage stakeholders involved in the elections.
Introducing the Taskforce to the executives of the Political Parties present, the Divisional Police Commander; ACP Afful Boakye Yiadom said, the membership is drawn from the Bureau of National Investigations, Police, Prisons, Fire Service, Immigration Service, Information Services Department, Electoral Commission, National Commission on Civic Education and the Obuasi Municipal Assembly. He cautioned that for the purposes of resolving issues quickly and amicably, the taskforce has been divided into three (3) Sub-Committees.
He advised Political Parties to be mindful of the Public Order Act; Act 491 of the 1992 Constitution. He said notices of campaigns and floats should reach the Police five (5) clear days before the day of the activity and that such letters should be delivered to the Orderly room or registry of the Ghana Police Service on days apart from Sundays.
ACP Boakye Yiadom assured the parties that the Election Security Taskforce which is headed by Municipal Police Commander remains non-partisan and will be fair and firm in resolving election related security complaints and challenges.
The Municipal Police Commander, DSP Jonas Agbevam demanded maximum co-operation from the Political Parties as the Committee put measures in place to nib the incidences of ‘machoism’ and other election related violence in the bud. This, he said calls for intensive education by Political Parties for its members and communicators.
DSP Agbevam who took over from DSP Matthew Asante as the Municipal Police Commander cautioned the media to be circumspect in their reportage in order not to create unnecessary tensions and anxiety ahead of the November Polls.
The representatives of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), the National Democratic congress (NDC) and the Progressive Peoples’ Party (PPP) present advised the taskforce to engage the media in their subsequent meetings to ensure that the airwaves are sanitisedahead of the elections.
The Electoral Commission was advised to give time to the Party Polling Agents to do enough due diligence and ensure that the ‘challenge forms’ are made available when there are disagreements.
………………SIGNED……………..
(SAMPSON MANU)
MUNICIPAL INFORMATION OFFICER