The National Peace Council in the Ashanti Region has urged the governing New Patriotic Party and largest opposition National Democratic Congress(NDC) to avoid acts that may cause violence in the Kumawu by-election being held today Tuesday, May 23, 2023 in the Ashanti region.
The Ashanti Regional Chairman of the National Peace Council Rt. Rev. Nuh Ben Abubekr admonished the the two parties to conduct their activities in peace.
“We want peace, no one liked what happened at Ayawaso Wuogon constituency during the by-election. We don’t want it to be repeated here. Parliament has also enacted a law, the police chief Dampare George Akuffo has also met the two main political parties. We expect them to follow the law and follow the road map they themselves have set up. The EC officials who have been selected to see to the running of the by-election, so they should do their work properly and impartially without deviating from what they have been taught,” Rt. Rev. Nuh Ben Abubekr advised.
Addressing the media prior to the by-election, the Ashanti Regional Director of the Electoral Commission, Benjamin Bannor Bio urged political parties to appoint competent persons as Polling Agents.
“What we are requiring from the candidates is for them to provide effective polling agents, not noisy ones. But the one who knows the difference between 69 and 96, the one who can understand adding up figures, for them to be at all the polling centres to represent them.
“They should be there throughout the voting period, during counting they should be there and observe. If after counting they are not in agreement, they can call for recounting. When it’s done, declaration of results forms will be filled, and they need to sign and take a copy,”.
Over the weekend leading members of both the NPP and NDC parties including President Akufo-Addo and former President John Mahama addressed teeming supporters of their respective parties at a rally held in Kumawu where they urged voters to vote massively for their respective Parliamentary candidates.
After the death of the late MP who was laid to rest last Saturday, the Electoral Commission (EC) issued a notice of poll to conduct a by-election to elect an MP for the constituency.
The parliamentary candidates are: NPP’s Ernest Yaw Anim, NDC’s Akwasi Amankwaa popularly known as ‘Tom Cee’, and two other independent candidates having the same name, Kwaku Duah.
The NPP is poised to retain the seat while the NDC is confident of wrestling the seat. But some political watchers believe the Independent candidate, Kwaku Duah who contested the the late MP in the 2020 Parliamentary election and lost by some 3,000 votes could spring a surprise and win the seat.