Election 2020: Police committed to ensuring violence-free elections – ACP Lydia Donkor

ACP Lydia Donkor, the Director for Legal and Prosecutions of the Accra Regional Police Command has reiterated the commitment of the Ghana Police Service to ensuring that the country comes out of the 2020 elections with its reputation as a beacon of democracy on the continent still intact.

Speaking after a health-walk organized by body-builders to promote peace, ACP Lydia Donkor said that the police are dedicated to protecting the peace currently being enjoyed in the country.

According to her, the police will, in compliance with the law deal ruthlessly with any person or group who seeks to foment trouble in the December 7 polls.

She thus urged Ghanaians particularly the youth to resist any form of overtures by any political party or person to use them to cause violence.

ACP Lydia Donkor assured that the police will be firm and fair in the discharge of their duties which among other things include the maintenance of law and order.

She also offered some education to Ghanaians on how they should conduct themselves on the day of the elections.

“Go out if you are eligible to vote and cast your vote. After voting, go back home and when it’s time for counting you can monitor from various media channels. If you want to come to the information centre, come and comply with the rules the law enforcement officers will give”.

“So don’t allow anyone to use you to snatch ballot boxes or create confusion so that people will be scared to come out and vote. We are determined to ensure that there is no violence anywhere. A violence-free election is what we should be hoping and aspiring to and I believe that the 2020 elections will be peaceful”, she concluded.

Ahead of the elections, the police have released a list of places it considers to be hotspots.

According to the Police, the areas listed are to be keenly monitored in order to prevent or foil any attempts to cause tension before, during, and post-elections.

Ashanti Region came top with 635 identified hotspots including; Offinso North, Asawase, Effiduase/Asokore, Ejura/Sekyedumase, and Bantama as top five.

In Bono Region, 192 hotspots have been identified with Tain, Jaman South, Banda, and Wenchi as top four.