More than 1,000 flashpoints throughout the country, where there are likely to be some disturbances during the December 7 elections, have been identified by the Ghana Police Service. However, the police have given an assurance that security in those areas will be beefed up to ensure peaceful elections. Effective patrolling by both police and military personnel will also be carried out in the polling stations in those areas to ensure that voters exercise their franchise in a peaceful environment.
The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr Paul Tawiah Quaye, who disclosed this to the Daily Graphic in an interview in Accra Tuesday said in developing plans for the provision of security during elections, the police always ensured that every polling station in the country would have at least one security man on duty on the day of the elections.
He indicated that within the Greater Accra Region alone, over 300 polling stations had been identified as areas where there was likely to be some disturbances.
Although the Police Administration did not name the constituencies where the flashpoints were located, the trend over the last five elections indicates that the Odododiodoo, Ashaiman and Okaikoi Central constituencies in the Greater Accra Region; Akwatia and Atiwa in the Eastern Region and Bawku Central in the Upper East Region could be some of the flashpoints.
Mr Quaye said the police service might either double or triple its presence in the identified potential volatile areas to police the ballot on election day.
Such an arrangement, he said, would depend on the perceived gravity of the volatile situation of the area.
Full Article: Election 2012: Ghana has over 1,000 flashpoints – Police | Daily Guide Newspaper.
