Police stop group from picketing at Parliament, EC

The Police have turned down a request by the pressure group, “Let My Vote Count,” to picket at the premises of the Electoral Commission (EC).

The group had written to the Police asking for permission to march from the Obra Spot at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle, through some principal streets in Accra, and end up at the EC to present a petition on the need to have a new voters’ register for the 2016 general elections.

However a statement signed by Christian T. Yohuno, Deputy Commissioner of Police said “…unfortunately, your decision to picket at the Parliament House and the Electoral Commission could not be approved due to security reasons.”

The statement explained that “both locations [EC and Parliament] are security establishments and for that matter, picketing which is expected to attract 2,000 participants or more cannot be permitted within or around the domain.”
The Police proposed alternative routes for the group to consider.

“You are respectfully requested that you start your demonstration from the Obra Spot, GCB Tower, Kwame Nkrumah Avenue through Farisco Traffic Light, TUC, ECG through to EOCO, the High street and end at the Hearts of Oak Park, where arrangements could be made for the petition to be collected by the EC chairperson or her representative,” the statement added.

We don’t care about Police directive

Meanwhile, the group has vowed to defy the Police orders.

A counter statement from the ‘Let My Vote Count’ group said the directive by the Police is an “arbitrary move” to frustrate their constitutional rights.

They argued that the premises of the EC is “not a security zone like a place to manufacture weapons of mass destruction or for keeping sensitive national security materials. It is a body setup to conduct public elections in Ghana, and therefore answerable to the people of the public.”

“We wish to tell all the groups and individuals who are joining this picketing, that it is on as planned. We will gather at Obra Spot and move on peacefully to the EC.”

Alleged bloated voter’s register

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has called for a new voters’ register, arguing that the old one is bloated.

The Vice Presidential candidate of the NPP, Dr. Mahammadu Bawumia had revealed that about 76,286 Togolese nationals are on Ghana’s voters’ register.

His revelation has received support from some political parties and groups including civil society group, Let My Vote Count.