Being more involved in electoral security – Emile Short C'ssion to EC

General News of Saturday, February 16, 2019

Source: citinewsroom.com

2019-02-16

The Electoral Commission was essentially unaware of the details of the police operation during the controversial by – election of Ayawaso West Wuogon.

Jean Mensa, president of the electoral commission, was questioned Friday before the Emile Short Commission on the extent of the commission's commitment to security during the by-election characterized by violence around from a polling station in Ayawaso West Wuogon. constituency.

With regard to security preparations, the EC wrote to the police asking for the security of the polling stations.

A first meeting with the regional police command gathered information on possible hot spots, among other dynamic, Jean Mensa said.

Professor Henrietta Mensa-Bonsu, a member of the Commission, said that this did not excuse the EC for not having their own security experts.

"You are in charge of an election. You know what an election requires, but if you outsource security to a person who does not know what is required, you risk leaving a void. "

"You suppose that they [police] will do their duty but did they do their duty? This becomes a question that you must answer when in fact it was not up to you to decide. My advice is that in future, there should be better coordination of security with the EC, "said Professor Mensa-Bonsu.

No detailed police briefing

After the initial commitments, the commission had no idea of ​​the police deployment plans for the by-election.

"Once we gave them the list, we did not receive any detailed information from them. [police] how they would deploy their staff, "revealed Jean Mensa.

Mensah Bonsu, in his questions, again stressed that it was important that the EC be aware of the police operational plan.

She also expressed concerns about the experience of the electoral police.

Jean Mensa, in his response, said: "There is an election working group that is normally deployed during the elections to supervise it, so we think or badume that they may have taken charge."

Police response

The Director General of Ghanaian Police Operations, DCOP, George Alex Mensah, told the commission that his service was not required to inform the Electoral Commission or any other institution involved in the electoral process of its operational preparations.

"Because they do not control these operational agencies. Only the composite operational order from the national headquarters can involve the different agencies, "he said.