Police asked to provide fair policing during Atiwa by-election

Anyinam, Aug. 27, GNA - The Eastern Regional branch of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), on Friday appealed to the Ghana Police Service to provide fair policing during the forthcoming by-election at Atiwa.

The party said it was prepared to co-operate with the Police to ensure security, before, during and after the election.

Mr Prince Aboagye, Regional Secretary of the NPP, at a press conference at Anyinam, alleged that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) was planning to scare NPP supporters away from the Atiwa bye-election.

He also accused the NDC of vote buying, alleging that some NDC leaders were moving from house to house distributing used clothes, rice, cooking oil and money to influence the electorate.

Mr Aboagye advised NPP supporters in the Region to respect rules and regulations and not to engage in any act of violence.

He said the NPP would however not look on unconcern while its foot soldiers are beaten and maimed.

"In our attempt to develop our fledging democracy, as political parties and as a nation, we need to move away from violent antics and cleanse our electoral processes of violence and abuse of rules".

Mr Aboagye called on the international community, the media and all Ghanaians as a matter of urgency to observe the by-election with all the importance it deserves.

He cautioned that any attempt by the NDC or anybody to destabilize the peace of the area would be resisted by any means lawful.

Mr Aboagye encouraged supporters of the NDC to be vigilant and prevent any attempt to rig the election by their political opponents.

In sharp response, the NDC denied all the allegations leveled by the NPP and rather accused the NPP of rigging the previous election.

Meanwhile the Eastern Regional Police Command has assured the people of Atiwa that the forthcoming by-election would be peaceful and that nobody should be afraid of possible violence.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Robert Ninson, about 1,200 Police personnel had been deployed from the Eastern, Ashanti, Greater Accra and Central Regions to beef up security at the Atiwa area.

He asked the people of Atiwa not to be scared of the presence of the large numbers of security personnel in the constituency.

DCOP Ninson said the Police had identified about 23 flashpoints in the area and would do everything possible to ensure that the election was conducted in a peacefully.

He called on all political parties that would take part in the elections to educate their members to desist from any act of lawlessness that could mar the beauty of the election.

DCOP Ninson cautioned that the Police would not spare anybody who would be caught disturbing the peace of the area.