Ashanti NPP MPs warn State security: Any further disruptions in Council of State polls will not be tolerated
The MPs also raised alarm over alleged efforts to manipulate the voter register by altering the list of government appointees.
New Patriotic Party (NPP) Members of Parliament in the Ashanti Region have cautioned State security, stating that they will be held accountable if the upcoming Council of State election faces any further disruptions.
The lawmakers are insisting that the venue be changed from the Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council to a neutral location to prevent a recurrence of the chaos that marred the previous election.
During the last voting exercise, individuals suspected to be members of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) task force stormed the polling station, vandalizing electoral materials just before the Electoral Commission (EC) could announce the results.
Despite security agencies launching a search for those responsible, no arrests have been made.
Speaking at a press briefing in Kumasi on Sunday (16 February), Vincent Ekow Assafuah, the Member of Parliament for Old Tafo, made it clear that the NPP caucus in the Ashanti Region will not tolerate any attempts to subvert the democratic process.
“We will hold the current security leadership, specifically the IGP and the chairman of the regional security council, strictly accountable for any further disruptions if they do not change the venue,” he asserted.
The MPs also raised alarm over alleged efforts to manipulate the voter register by altering the list of government appointees.
“We have also gathered intelligence that certain assemblies are becoming heated with factions attempting to alter their representatives on the electoral roll. Reports also indicate the coordinating directors have been instructed to swear in assembly members to render them eligible to vote. We are not closing our minds and eyes to what the law says.
“We know that the prerogatives lie with the president so that he can choose government appointees in the assemblies. But it does not also lie within the ambit and the jurisdiction of the coordinating director to appoint people and make them eligible to vote as far as the Council of State elections are concerned.
“Let us be crystal clear, any attempt to manipulate or destroy the sanctity of our electoral process will be met with resistance,” he warned.
The initial Council of State election in the Ashanti Region ended in disruption, preventing the declaration of a winner. As a result, the EC has scheduled a rerun for today, to bring finality to the process.
Meanwhile, the Electoral Commission (EC) has reiterated its commitment to ensuring a transparent and peaceful process for the Ashanti Regional Council of State election rerun.
Regional EC Director Osei Nsiah confirmed that enhanced security measures have been implemented. The election will be held at the Prempeh Assembly Hall with full media accreditation, and the Regional Police Command has assured that security is in place.
Ballot boxes were delivered last Wednesday and are currently secured at the police armory.
This rerun will see participation from 86 registered voters and 12 candidates, with the EC working closely with security agencies to guarantee a smooth and credible electoral process.
Additionally, the North East Region will also conduct a rerun, as the two leading candidates tied in votes during the initial contest.
Reporting By Jonathan Ofori, Asaase Newsroom
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