Project Lead of the Coalition of Domestic Election Observers (CODEO), Rhoda Osei-Afful has urged various security personnel to exhibit professionalism as the nation votes today.
Speaking in a media interaction, she noted that security agents have been deployed to various constituencies across the country to ensure the smooth running of the electoral process and not to intimidate people from exercising their franchise.
Her comment comes on the back of some residents in the Volta Region expressing concerns that they have been frightened after seeing military officers patrolling their area.
She then noted that, the security personnel plays a crucial role in the democratic process, however, their action in line of duty can contribute to disrupting the process adding that their role is to ensure safety.
“They are to ensure that polling stations are safe places for people to vote, we don’t expect that at any point in time their own conduct affect the process.”
Commenting on assurance of the leadership of the security services, Madam Osei-Afful was optimistic that the men and women who have been deployed would exhibit professionalism in their operations.
“Law enforcement is not seen to be done fairly and firmly, there are places that we have recorded electoral violence as far as this election is concerned and even in previous exercise.”
Meanwhile, CODEO has revealed that, more than 4,000 observers have been deployed for today’s general elections.
These observers are stationed at all 275 constituencies across the 16 regions of the country with 1,502 of the number deployed as Parallel Vote Tabulation (PVT) observers.
Acting Chair of CODEO, Sheihk Aremeyaw Shaibu disclosed that other stationary observers will be deployed as Regional Coordinators, Constituency Supervisors (CS), its General Assembly and Board Members as Roaming/Mobile Observers (ROs) in all the 16 regions.
He then urged all stakeholders to uphold the democratic principles of ensuring peace during and after elections and also asked politicians and sympathizers of the various political parties to abide by the laws of the electoral body.
Highlighting measures put in place to ensure a comprehensive observation exercise, he stated that the institute was ready to provide adequate information.
“CODEO is encouraged of the few recorded violent incidents during the campaign period, and hope that the stakeholders take into the voting process attitude of non-confrontation and resort to the rules of the electoral process to resolve any differences or dispute. CODEO, for its part, assures Ghanaians that it will play its role as independent, impartial and objective observers during the process. It is our firm belief that CODEO’s presence at polling stations will contribute to having a moderating influence on key actors and help ensure electoral integrity. CODEO will continue to collaborate and cooperate with the EC, political parties, like-minded civil society organizations platforms, international observers, the media and other stakeholders with similar goals in order for Ghana to achieve, once again, a peaceful, credible and successful 2020 elections.”
