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Public Order Act prohibits political parties from
possessing arms
Koforidua, Sept. 3, Ghanadot/GNA - Police Superintendent
John Naami, Chairman of the New Juaben Election Task Force,
on Wednesday said political parties were prohibited under
the public order act to possess arms or weapons during party
activities such as rallies.
He said it was even illegal for private registered arms to
be carried by their owners to any party activity in the name
of protection.
Supt Naami said this at a meeting with representatives of
political parties and members of the task force committee in
Koforidua, to discuss matters that were likely to create
confusions in the run- up to the presidential and
parliamentary elections.
He said “the responsibility and power of protecting lives
and property at such functions rests with the police, hence
the need to obtain police permit to ensure that personnel
were detailed to handle that aspect”.
Mr Naami who is also the New Juaben Municipal Commander of
Police, said the police by their mandate were impartial and
warned political parties to abide by the provisions of the
public order act during the campaign, “or dance the tune of
their drums irrespective of their status”.
He said it was in the interest of the parties to have trust
in the security services and to cooperate with them, because
“the police are well prepared on the ground to ensure
peaceful and violence free elections”.
The Municipal Electoral Officer, Ms Lydia Egyiri who shared
the views of Supt Naami emphasized that the provisions of
the code of conduct signed and adopted as a guide by the
political parties was based on the Public Order Act.
She refuted allegations that during the just ended voters
registration exercise, some party activists of the NPP were
recruited as registration assistants and that led to unfair
distribution of registration materials.
Ms Egyiri explained that the Electoral Commission (EC) being
mindful of the sensitivity of elections, probes into the
background of all the temporary staffs they recruited in the
electoral processes through investigations and observation
to ensure neutrality.
She explained that the code of conduct for the parties was
signed by the chairpersons and the general secretaries of
all the political parties and that enjoined them to abide by
it.
The Eastern Regional Director of the National Commission for
Civic Education (NCCE), Mr Emmanuel Quaye-Sowah, told the
representatives that the December election was not “a do and
die affair” as some parties had taken it “reducing the
meaning of election as a component of democracy to a fight
of the survival of the fittest”.
He called on leaders of the parties to educate their
followers who were mostly caught up in acts of violence, to
understand that there were structures in place for them to
air their grievances.
The task force committee is made up of the commanders of all
the security agencies in the municipality and some selected
members from the public.
GNA
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