Ayawaso West by-election: EC urges NPP, NDC to end political vigilantism

The Electoral Commission (EC) has dismissed suggestions linking violence with the successful conduct of the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election last Thursday.

The EC said the violence took place at the residence of the parliamentary candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Delali Kwasi Brempong and not at a polling station and for that matter, did not in any way, interfere with election proceedings.

Addressing a press conference at its headquarters in Accra yesterday, the Chairperson of the EC, Mrs Jean Mensa, said the blame ought to be placed squarely at the doorstep of the two major political parties rather than the EC.

She was of the view that political violence must be condemned in all its forms and that the two political parties; the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the NDC must be impressed upon by all national stakeholders to end the practice of political vigilantism.

In the view of the EC, the chairperson said last Thursday’s poll was successful and credible, adding that it was unfortunate that the Coalition of Domestic Election Observers (CODEO) had decided to produce a report that sought to indict the credibility of the poll as a result of the violence that occurred at the private residence of the NDC candidate.