EC must get its act together to remove unnecessary tension - Kofi Boakye

The Electoral Commission (EC) has been reminded to get its act together to remove unnecessary tension on voting day.

        

Commissioner of Police (COP) Nathan Kofi Boakye, the Ashanti Regional Commander, said everything must be done to prevent delay in the dispatch of election materials to the polling centres, sending voting materials to the wrong places and issuing conflicting instructions.

        

This, he warned could heighten tension at the centres and trigger confusion and must therefore be avoided.

        

He made the call at the launch of educational materials on the presidential and parliamentary elections in Kumasi.

       

These had spelt out the role of the police, peace messages and regulations governing the polls.

       

COP Boakye asked that all the key actors worked together to dial down tension and support the successful conduct of the December 07 election.

       

He told officers and men of the police service to demonstrate high level of professionalism - ensure that there was protection for everybody.

      

“Your actions and inactions would be key to the free, fair and credible conduct of the election and therefore you need to remain professional, neutral and do what you have to do.”

      

COP Boakye gave the assurance that adequate security measures had been put in place to swiftly deal with any threat to the peace.

      

There was no way any troublemakers were going to have their way in the region, he added.

      

He cautioned that motorbikes would not be allowed within 100 meters radius of any of the polling centres.

        

The Regional Commander appealed to the media to put the nation’s peace first by reporting only the truth but not rumor and gossip.

        

It was important that the journalists checked their facts with the appropriate authorities to keep the political temperature down.