EC IDENTIFIES 453 FLASH POINTS IN WESTERN REGION (PAGE 15)

THE Electoral Commission (EC) has identified a total number of 453 flash points in the Western Region.
They are mainly due to chieftaincy disputes, land disputes, illegal gold mining activities, border areas, hideout of drug peddlers/smokers and unhealthy political rivalry in the affected areas.
Also, the commission has identified 145 difficult or inaccessible areas in the region which may require special means of transport, such as tractors, boats and motorbikes to reach them with electoral officers and election materials.
The Deputy Western Regional Director of the EC, Mr Benjamin Bano-Bioh, announced this at a Security Services Study Day code-named ‘Exercise Peace Angel’ for officers of all the security services from the Western Region in Takoradi.
The study day was meant for participants to rehearse the anticipated tasks of the military, the police and other security services and task forces before, during and after the December elections.
Mr Bano-Bioh said arrangements were going on for the hiring of the needed means of transport for the exercise in those areas.
He mentioned that the security agencies were expected to play three important roles in the delivery of free, fair as well as transparent elections.
He said the security agencies were to check all forms of intimidation and keep the general peace in order to create the right atmosphere for democratic politics, particularly for the candidates to freely campaign and for the voters to feel safe to participate in the elections.
"The electoral process must be devoid of violence, coercion and intimidation to make it free and fair.” He added: "These actions may deter candidates from campaigning, force voters to vote against their will, prevent voters from voting or impede the reporting of other forms of fraud".
Mr Bano-Bioh said the security agencies had another duty to keep order at the polling stations and the collation centres on the election day. He warned that there should be no procedures, actions or conditions to deter eligible voters from casting their votes freely and secretly.
He said the security officers should arrest and prosecute people breaking the election laws.
This, he said, would not only serve as a deterrent but also influence public confidence in the election code during future polling.
The deputy director said the EC, as the election management body, had a huge responsibility to ensure free, fair, transparent as well as incontrovertible elections as a contribution to good governance in the country.
He, however, noted that achievement of free and fair elections was a collective or a shared responsibility for the EC, political parties, candidates, the electorate, the media, security services and the courts, adding: "None of these bodies alone can ensure free and fair elections".
The Flag Officer commanding the Western Naval Command and Chairman of the Regional Election Security Task Force, Commodore Frank Daley, explained that the ‘Exercise Peace Angel’ was a joint security exercise to rehearse and synchronise plans and procedures as part of the preparations towards the December elections.