Issah Alhassan
2 December 2008
Kumasi — The Ashanti Regional Police Commander, DCOP Kwaku Opare Ayesu Addo, has, once again, mounted a strong defence over his decision to employ reasonable force, including the use of the gun, against any attempt to steal ballots on polling day, despite receiving criticism from a cross-section of the general public.
DCOP Opare Addo said he had no regrets, neither has he any intention of retracting his earlier threat, since according to him, the protection of the integrity of the polls, was far important than an individual's whims and caprices.
The Ashanti Regional Police Chief received a lot of condemnation from a cross-section of the public, particularly security experts, when he told a press conference, last week, that as part of plans to guard against any form electoral violence and protect the integrity of the polls, he had instructed his men to use reasonable force in dealing with anyone who attempts to tamper with the ballot box, including the use of arms in extreme cases.
But, speaking at the official commissioning of a District/Divisional Police Headquarters at Old Tafo, DCOP Opare justified his comments, saying the police would not sit down and allow anyone to bring the integrity of the polls into disrepute.
He said in cases of electoral hijacking, the perpetrators of the action, who often embark on the operation heavily armed, tend to attack the security men on duty first, rendering him or her defenseless, before executing their heinous agenda.
The Police Chief noted, "Such a person ought to be treated with the necessary security force he deserves."
According to him, since the policemen were the first point of contact, in case of any electoral violence or misappropriations, there was the need for them to be proactive in their handling of issues concerning the elections, in order to win the needed confidence of all the political parties.
He, therefore, cautioned the media to be circumspect, and avoid building unnecessary tensions, in the run up to the elections. Meanwhile, a security expert and the Head of the Kofi Annan International Peace Keeping Center, Mr. Kwesi Anning, has condemned the statement by the Ashanti Regional Police Commander, and has subsequently called for his suspension from all activities concerning the elections, since his comments had the propensity to instill fear and terror in voters.
Speaking on a local radio station, Boss 93.7 FM in Kumasi, Mr.Anning said the threat, coming from a top ranked police officer at this crucial moment of the electoral process, could mar the peaceful atmosphere Ghanaians were craving for, and also have the tendency to prevent people from freely exercising their franchise on election day.
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