• MR BAAH BIO, STRESSED THE NEED FOR EFFECTIVE SECURITY TO ENABLE VOTERS TO EXERCISE THEIR FRANCHISE DEVOID OF INTIMIDATION, FEAR OR PEER PRESSURE.
The Supervising High Court Judge of the Ashanti Region, Mr Justice Kofi Akrowiah, has advised members of the regional election task force to uphold the laws that guide election to ensure a free and fair district level election and referendum on December 17, this year.
He said for a successful election, the members of the task force must be seen to be fair and uphold the law and ensure that those who fell foul were dealt with.
HE WAS SPEAKING AT THE INAUGURATION OF THE ASHANTI REGIONAL ELECTION TASK FORCE THAT WOULD OVERSEE THE RUNNING OF THE DISTRICT LEVEL ELECTIONS AND THE REFERENDUM LATER THIS YEAR. JUSTICE AKROWIAH ALSO ENTREATED THE MEMBERS TO BE IMPARTIAL AND NOT TO WORK OUTSIDE THE LAW IN ORDER TO WIN THE CONFIDENCE OF THE PEOPLE.
According to the judge, the elections were regulated by laws and for one to take part in it, one must fulfil all the requirements of the law.
Inauguration
He was speaking at the inauguration of the Ashanti Regional Election Task Force that would oversee the running of the district level elections and the referendum later this year.
Justice Akrowiah also entreated the members to be impartial and not to work outside the law in order to win the confidence of the people.
EC
For his part, the Ashanti Regional Director of the Electoral Commission, Mr Baah Bio, stressed the need for effective security to enable voters to exercise their franchise devoid of intimidation, fear or peer pressure.
He described the inauguration of the committee as very timely as it would give the members enough time to deliberate on issues before the elections later in December.
According to him, the district level elections were more difficult than even the general election owing to the large number of candidates involved.
Statistics
In the local level elections, he said, the Ashanti Region alone had 1,087 electoral areas “and each of these electoral areas are being contested by different candidates and some of the electoral areas have as many as 12 candidates.”
According to him, the region had a total 5,671 polling stations with a voter population of 3, 071 604 registered voters, “so we have a herculean task ahead of us,” he added.
Chairman
The Ashanti Regional Police Commander, Commissioner of Police (COP) Mr Kwasi Mensah Duku, who is the chairman of the 11-member committee, said the committee had a critical role to play in the organisation of the elections and called for the full cooperation of all in its duties.
He said the committee would ensure timely distribution of election materials and the security of electoral materials, voters and the polling stations.
The members of the committee included all the regional commanders of the security services in addition to the Regional Electoral Officer, the Regional Commander of the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI), the Regional Defence Intelligence and the Regional Crime Officer.
Credit to Source: Daily Graphic
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