AKWATIA VOTERS APPEAL FOR MORE SECURITY PERSONNEL (PAGE 16)

VOTERS in the six polling stations in the Akwatia Constituency where the 2008 parliamentary election is to be rerun tomorrow have appealed to the government to deploy more security personnel to the area to protect them.
According to them, recruitment of security personnel who would show partiality by protecting one group of voters against the other, or display any partisanship during the election could undermine the credibility of the results.
They claimed that demonstration of impartiality by the security personnel would ensure a high voter turnout and boost the confidence of the people in the outcome of the electoral process.
“If the presence of security agencies is to help foster a violent-free environment necessary for the conduct of a fair and transparent election, then they must not be seen as being on the side of the government or any political party during the polls,” they stated.
The voters, who spoke to the Daily Graphic in separate interviews at Akwatia, added “we believe that our security agencies are above partisan politics and hope that they will exhibit professional conduct and ethics in the interest of the nation and not be biased towards any political party, be it NDC or NPP”.
“It is only by this protection that they can avert a recurrence of the violence that truncated the smooth conduct of the election in Akwatia in December, 2008 election,” they stated.
Nana Adwoa Owusuaa, the Gyaasehemaa of Akwatia, said as Akwatia had become a flashpoint since the previous election, it behoved the government to ensure that not only would adequate security personnel be deployed to the area, but they should also act professionally in order not to be perceived to be biased.
According to her, the 2008 election in the area was characterised by needless violence that soiled the good name of Akwatia and its people, who had been unfortunately tagged lawless and violent.
“Though the violent acts were perpetrated by a few individuals, every resident of Akwatia is now bearing the brunt of the deeds of few recalcitrant troublemakers in the name of election”, Nana Owusuaa stated.
A 38-year-old farmer, Mr Emmanuel Asihene, stated that rumours were rife that the government was making efforts to recruit security personnel with affiliation to the NDC, a move he hoped was just mere hearsay.
“However, if the rumours happen to be true, the people, particularly those believed to be supporters of the NPP, may be compelled to counter such moves by the government and the security forces even at the peril of their lives,” he stated.
Mrs Beatrice Duker, a trader, for her part, said to ensure that the outcome of the polls were acceptable to both parties, there was the need for the government to send a team of security forces who would act professionally to safeguard the electoral process.