Central Regional Police Commander appeals for peaceful elections

Cape Coast, April 9, GNA - The Central Regional Police Commander, DCOP Rose Bio-Atinga, on Wednesday called on political party leaders and their supporters to conduct their electioneering campaigns in a peaceful manner.

She said the country was recognized internationally as a peaceful country and urged politicians to endeavour to uphold this good image. DCOP Bio-Atinga urged them to carry out a campaign devoid of violence, insults, attack on personalities and character assassination. She made the call when she met district police commanders and leaders of the various political parties in the region to discuss the "dos and don'ts" before, during and after the elections.

She said the police would continue to play its role and also endeavour to provide the needed security for all the political parties during their campaigns, adding "we have enough police men to manage the polling centres and monitor the entire elections."

The Regional Commander reminded the party leaders of the existence of the Public Order Act, and urged them to abide by it to avoid any clashes during their campaigns.

She said the police would apply "first come first serve" policy to grant permission to political parties that apply for permits to hold party rallies and other public gathering.

DCOP Bio-Atinga said the public order act allowed five days grace period for a political party to notify the police before holding of a political rally or any public gathering within an area and advised them to adhere strictly to it.

She said political rallies were not battle fields and that people should not attend such rallies with dangerous weapons such as catapults, stones, broken bottles, knives and in some cases guns adding that anyone who violated the order would be made to face the law.

DCOP Bio-Atinga said the police were now proactive in their duties and would do everything possible to curb unnecessary clashes during political rallies.

She assured them that the police would not discriminate against any political party stressing that the Constitution, Code of Conduct and the Public Order Act were there to guide them during their campaigns. Chief Superintendent, John Fredrick Wilson, Regional Crime Officer, said the country had held peaceful elections in the past adding "let us endeavour to make this year's election the best". Mr Kwamina Duncan, Regional Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) on behalf of the political parties, commended the Regional Commander for the meeting and pledged that the various political parties would comply with the Public Order Act to ensure incident free campaigns in the region.

He called on his colleagues to educate their supporters on the act and ensure that they abided by it to avoid being sanctioned. 9 April 08