Some Security personnel are seething with anger for being disenfranchised in tomorrow’s District Level Elections.
According to the angry security personnel who spoke under condition of anonymity, deployment for District Level election was previously done internally hence they were not dispatched outside districts where they are stationed, however this time around, they have been deployed outside their areas to provide security without any arrangement to take part in a special voting.
The Electoral Commission cancelled the special voting in the Referendum after the exercise was aborted by government.
The Special Voting was also to give an opportunity for Security Personnel, Media and officers who will be entrusted with election duties to vote in the District Level Election.
But according to the angry security personnel in the Eastern Region, the EC could have gone ahead with the Special Voting in the District Level Elections given that they have been assigned outside their jurisdictions.
The Public Relations Officer of the Eastern Regional Police Command, DSP Ebenezer Tetteh told Starr News most of the personnel were attached to polling stations outside their stations before the referendum was aborted together with the cancellation of the Special voting exercise hence the conundrum. According to him, the Police Administration has taken notice of the concerns of the officers to guide future decision to ensure their right to vote is not infringed.
Kate Valeria Bedjabeng, a Candidate contesting the Residential Area Assembly Member position in the New Juaben South Municipality of the Eastern Region is worried that her electoral area hosts the Regional Police Headquarters and the Police Training School hence disappointed that most of the Police personnel cannot vote because they have been dispatched outside the jurisdiction.
A total of 2538 candidates are contesting the Assembly Member election positions in 799 Electoral Areas in the Eastern Region. Out of the number,2397 are males while 141 females.
Again, a total of 4783 candidates are contesting the 582 Unit committee slots, 4219 out of the number are males whereas 493 are females.
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/103.5FM/Kojo Ansah