Police can't stop us from protecting our ballot after we vote – LMVCA

Pro-opposition pressure group, Let My Vote Count Alliance (LMVCA), has served notice that they will resist any attempt by the police to prevent them monitoring the election after they cast their ballot come December 7.

According to LMVCA, no law under the constitution and the CI 94 which regulates elections 2016, prohibits people from standing outside the perimeter erected at the polling station to monitor the elections.

The Head of Police Election Taskforce, Chief Supt. Benjamin Agordzor has indicated that his outfit will deal ruthlessly with persons who mass up at the various polling station as it has the potential of creating confusion.

“There’s no need for anyone to stand at the polling station from morning till evening after voting. There’s no law that proscribes this action, but it causes problems on election day. If you finish voting, go home and when its 5 pm, come back and witness the counting.”

He added: “If everyone decides to stand at the polling station after voting, then that will be a recipe for confusion. Those political parties telling their supporters to stay over don’t know what they are doing. They are not patriotic enough, they want to create confusion but we the security agencies are saying that we’re not going to allow that. Our patrol team will be around, and we’re going to drive people away from that place, once you’ve voted and have nothing to do, you must move away from the polling station.”

But the Convenor of the Let My Vote Count Alliance, David Asante in an interview on Neat FM took strong exception to the comments by the police, saying the police will not be allowed to introduce their own set of new electoral laws.

“After voting, don’t leave the polling station…stand there and protect the ballot. Let the police fire and kill us, we’ll stand there at the polling station. We won’t interfere with the electoral process, we won’t get into the enclave where the voting is taking place. But if the police will arm themselves and kill people at the police station on election day, then we are ready for them.”

He continued: “The IGP and other police commanders will not introduce new electoral laws in this country, that will not work. We’ll strictly abide by the dictates of the constitution and CI 94, and if this will lead to the police firing us on the day of election then so be it.” David Asante fumed.