Uneasy calm at Cape Coast over transfer of votes

Cape Coast, Nov. 12, GNA - Mr Akayire Kamparah, Central Regional Police Commander, on Wednesday warned that the police would deal with activists and supporters of any political party whose activities endanger security in the Region.

He has therefore cautioned political parties to distinguish between criminality and political campaigning because the police would arrest anyone engaged in any form of crime under the cover of politics. Mr Kamparah gave the warning in an interview with GNA on the alleged assault of some students of University of Cape Coast (UCC) and Cape Coast Polytechnic by supporters of National Democratic Congress (NDC) who went to the Cape Coast Metropolitan Office of the Electoral Commission (EC) to transfer their votes, on Tuesday.

Meanwhile there is heavy police presence at the EC's office where the transfer of votes is taking place and tension seems to be mounting in Cape Coast because of the situation.

Mr Kamparah who confirmed the incident, said so far three students with bruises and cuts who lodged complaints at the Central Regional Police Headquarters had been issued with medical forms to attend hospital, but no arrests had been made.

He said the police was investigating to effect arrest of the culprits, adding that the students had informed the police that they could identify those who assaulted them and urged the public to also volunteer information to make the job of the police easier. When contacted, Cape Coast Metropolitan Director of EC, Mr Anthony Kwame Nyame said despite the incident, the transfer of votes was going on smoothly, but said UCC authorities had requested that it should be carried out on campus, because the safety of the students at the EC office could not be guaranteed.

Mr Nyame said on Tuesday, after the incident, the Metropolitan Inter-Party Advisory Committee (MIPAC) met to find amicable solution to the problem and mentioned representatives of the NDC, New Patriotic Party (NPP), Peoples' National Convention (PNC), Conventions Peoples' Party (CPP), and Democratic Freedom Party (DFP) as those who attended. He advised the political parties to desist from mass transfers because the EC did not encourage that but warned that nobody had the right to prevent others from transferring their votes.

Mr Nyame said the EC had however, asked the political parties to send their representatives to observe the process for transparency and fairness.

Meanwhile, Mr Sandy Amartey, Central Regional Secretary of NDC said the Party prevented the transfer of the students' votes because they were organised by the NPP Parliamentary Candidate for Cape Coast, Mr Ato Amponsah Dadzie to influence the voting pattern in the constituency. Mr Ekow Danquah Smith, NPP Central Regional Chairman, denied that the students were bussed by the NPP and added that the NDC was desperate and frustrated and therefore accusing the NPP indiscriminately.

When GNA arrived at the EC office, it saw two mini buses with registration numbers GE 4322Y and GR 93412 filled with 'macho men' who reportedly told the EC official that they had come to "retaliate an assault on their sister".

The buses, however took off before the police, who had been called in, arrived at the scene.