Removing party agents can prevent violence at polling stations

If the saying by our forebears that coming events cast their shadows is anything to go by, then it must explain the general apprehension over clashes involving sympathisers of the two leading political parties — the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) — at the centres where the limited voters registration exercise is taking place. 

The public has already begun nursing some fears concerning the November elections and doubt whether they would be violence free, following the violence that has characterised the ongoing exercise at some centres.

Comments such as: “If during simple registration there is violence, then we are in for trouble during the real elections” have been made many times by concerned citizens.

We detest violence of any kind and pray that such fears as nursed by the public would not come to pass.

However, we are also worried and disappointed that a platform provided by the Electoral Commission (EC) to ensure that the youth who have turned 18, as well as adults who have not had the opportunity to put their names in the voters register, do so is being abused at certain centres.

We condemn the acts of violence and urge the electorate to shame all those involved in the dastardly acts.

But while we express our loathing for the violence at some registration centres, we also note that it could have been prevented if the issue of party agents at the centres had been discouraged at the onset.

We, as a country, have held on to a system that encourages all political parties to position their agents at polling stations during elections and registration centres during the registration of voters because of the lack of trust in the system, the EC charged and the security personnel at the centres.

Other developed democracies do not encourage agents at centres because the people have absolute faith in the system to expose anybody or group of persons who attempt to break the law or foment trouble.

Perhaps the clashes that have occurred at the Dwendabi Registration Centre in the Offinso North Constituency, Atebubu in the Brong Ahafo Region and other centres are a clarion call for a re-look at the issue of party agents at polling stations during elections.

Reports on the clashes suggest that the violence at the centres resulted from misunderstandings between or among political party agents stationed at the centres.

The Daily Graphic believes that it is not too late to amend our approach to elections by recalling all party agents from polling stations.

We believe that if everyone agrees that elections are not do-or-die affairs, as has been re-echoed for the umpteenth time by concerned citizens, as well as the National Peace Council (NPC) and the clergy, then it should be easy to decide to pull away party agents from polling centres before November 7, 2016 comes.

Rather, we urge the strengthening of the EC, as well as teachers who are contracted to assist with the process during elections, by way of training in the most effective way to look out for anomalies and unqualified people during elections.

Security must also be beefed up at all centres in terms of more personnel, as well as training personnel in the modern ways of detecting people who only get to the polling stations with the intent to cheat or cause confusion.

The political parties also have a key role to play in advising their members not to visit the polling centres if they do not qualify to vote or do any acts that would be tantamount to compromising the integrity of the process.

The EC and election officials may owe allegiances to political parties but they too must be taught how to go about their businesses in a smooth and transparent manner at all times.

When all these are done, the removal of party agents should bring us some peace during elections and our trust in officials to be fair and unbiased in their work should make Ghana the winner in the November 7 polls.