Ensuring peaceful polls: Strict enforcement of laws on electoral violence critical — Dr Aubyn

The Regional Coordinator, Research and Capacity Building of the West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP), Dr Festus Kofi Aubyn, has stressed the need for strict enforcement of laws surrounding electoral violence as the country approaches the December 7 presidential and parliamentary elections.

"When people commit acts of violence and go unpunished, it emboldens others to do the same. So perpetrators of electoral violence needed to be punished to serve as a deterrent to others," he said.

He also called for the strengthening of the laws and regulations on electoral violence, including consequences for inciting violence, hate speech and misinformation.

Dr Aubyn made the call in an interview with the Daily Graphic on strategies that could be implemented to mitigate the increasing trend of electoral violence in the country, considering the 60 incidents reported in the 2020 elections, including 21 true cases of electoral violence and six involving gunshots.

Strategies

To address electoral violence, Dr Aubyn said there was the need to strengthen the Electoral Commission's communication and its ability to build consensus with political parties, adding that enhancing the Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) was crucial for resolving key issues, such as voter register and ballot safety concerns.

He called for public awareness campaigns to educate voters on their rights, responsibilities, and the consequences of election violence and the need to promote messages of peace.

He urged the various political parties participating in the December 7 polls to issue codes of conduct to denounce violence and promote peaceful campaigns.

On security measures, he called for enhanced security personnel presence, the training of police personnel in crowd management, conflict de-escalation techniques, and the deployment of monitors to hotspots.

Technology

To achieve this, Dr Aubyn recommended utilising technology, strengthening legal frameworks and promoting conflict resolution training.

"Technology is crucial in reporting incidents of violence or threats in real time," Dr Aubyn noted.

He therefore commended the National Media Commission for the launch of a mobile app ahead of the elections, which allowed citizens to report incidents of violence or threats in real-time basis as a step in the right direction. 

Aubyn stressed the importance of fact-checking and conflict-sensitive reporting to combat misinformation and disinformation, which he said remained one of the key threats to peaceful election.

 "We need to encourage fact-checking and reportage of correct information to avoid spreading false information that could create violence before, during and after the elections.