Security agencies pledge to uphold electoral fairness

Heads of the security agencies have reiterated their determination to ensure and uphold electoral fairness in next month's presidential and parliamentary elections and safeguard the democratic aspirations of Ghanaians.

The police are therefore taking steps to investigate all reports of fraud and irregularities in the processing and acquisition of photo ID cards as well as allegations of rigging made last weekend.

Alhaji Issaka Inusah, a former senior official of New Patriotic Party (NPP), said last week that the party rigged the Ablekuma Central bye-elections in Accra in March last year, triggering calls for his arrest.

This was contained in a statement issued in Accra by the National Security Council after an emergency meeting to discuss arrangements for the vote. The council noted that the heightened rivalry and tension between party supporters and the reported cases of violence, which pose a threat to the maintenance of law and order, featured prominently in their security assessment.

The council said a free and fair election is intended to ensure that as many eligible Ghanaians as possible cast their votes with relative ease. The results should also reflect the true aspirations of Ghanaians. The statement said they observed that lack of consistency and clarity on whether persons with valid thumb-printed voter ID cards could vote is a major potential threat to security in the polls.

"Apart from the confusion that it is likely to generate at the polling stations, the possible disenfranchisement of large numbers of eligible voters could cause serious security problems," the statement said. "What the Electoral Commission (EC) perceives as a technical matter has serious implications. The situation if not handled expeditiously could degenerate into violence and bloodshed."

The statement said the meeting therefore decided to convey to the EC the collective concerns of the security agencies about the prevailing mood of uncertainty on account of their perceived indecision. "Attention was drawn to the fact that by law and under the commission's own regulations, no one had the right to exclude holders of thumb-printed ID cards from exercising their vote," it said.

The statement said the meeting also cautioned operators of FM stations to be circumspect in the period before, during and after voting on December 7. "In particular, they are to guard against the temptation of announcing results that have not been certified by the EC. They are also to remain vigilant against individuals who will attempt to use their airwaves to incite violence and mayhem ...as such incitements will be severely dealt with in accordance with the law," the statement said.

The statement said the meeting was briefed about the work of the national, regional and district Election Security Task Force and the preparations of the Police Service in general to ensure free and fair elections devoid of fraud, violence, harassment or intimidation. It said the IGP outlines a detailed plan for the deployment of personnel drawn from the police, Fire Service, Prison and Customs, Excise and Preventive Service at polling stations throughout the country.

In line with its responsibility towards national security and as part of a pre-emptive strategy, the military has also deployed personnel throughout the country to support the operations of the other security agencies," the statement aid. It added that similar deployments were made during the 1992 and 1996 general elections. The statement said the Service Commanders presented their assessment of potential security problems in the run-up to the vote.

This followed extensive nation-wide tours by personnel of the Ghana Armed Forces led by the General Officer Commanding the Southern Sector, Major-General F.Y. Mahama and the General Officer Commanding the Northern Sector, Major-General H. Anyidoho.