The Coalition of Domestic Election Observers (CODEO) says the Electoral Commission (EC) must see to the prosecution of persons who incite violence in the ongoing limited voter registration exercise.
Multiple incidents of violence have disrupted registration process in various centers, such as Kukuom in the Ahafo Region, Adugyama in the Ashanti Region, and Cape Coast in the Central Region.
Albert Arhin, the National Coordinator at CODEO, emphasized the significance of prosecuting these individuals as a vital deterrent against similar actions in the future.
At a press conference on Tuesday, May 14, Mr. Arhin underscored that the absence of legal action would only serve to embolden other individuals to partake in similar disruptive behavior during electoral processes.
He urged security agencies to swiftly apprehend and prosecute those responsible for the disturbances, emphasizing the necessity for impartiality and diligence throughout the process.
“The culprits, those who indulge in these election malpractices, are to be punished. And the citizenry should see that these people are punished.
“The moment you just make a wishy-washy kind of arrest, then we don’t hear anything again, people will always want to do it again. So when we arrest them, let us prosecute them so that it serves as a deterrent to others.”
“If we don’t punish, people will think that it is something that everybody can do and they will go on committing and committing and committing these daily mistakes,” he said.
Furthermore, the Electoral Commission (EC) has reiterated a similar stance, urging the Ghana Police Service to guarantee that individuals accountable for the disruptions face legal action in court.