DCEs contesting elections can’t chair security meetings — NDC

THE National Democratic Congress (NDC) has called for a second look at the positions of district, metropolitan and municipal chief executives who are contesting elections as parliamentary candidates in their areas of jurisdiction.
It argued that some of the sitting district chief executives (DCEs), who were also heads of security in their areas of jurisdiction, had compromised their positions during the recent voters registration exercise.
Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, the National Organiser of the NDC, who made the call in an interview with the Daily Graphic, called on civil society organisations and governance institutions such as the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), Institute for Democratic Governance (IDEG) to use their influence to ensure a change in the situation.
He suggested that the District Security Council (DISEC), in instances where a DCE was contesting election, could appoint one of its members, other than the chief executive to be in the DCEs stead in security matters involving only elections.
He alleged that apart from compromising security in their districts, some of them were unduly abusing incumbency through the misuse of district assembly vehicles, fuel and personnel to the detriment of their opponents.
Mr Ofosu Ampofo said the NDC had recognised the fact that the DCEs were by law the heads of districts security, but the issue at stake was that during the recent limited voters registration, most of the areas that DCEs were contesting elections became hot beds.
He alleged that there were instances where security personnel had to take instructions from the their district heads, who, apparently, were the DCEs who also had their interest, especially in cases involving their supporters.
“Most of the security problems, threats, and infractions of law which occurred during the registration exercise were ignited by some of the DCEs,” he alleged.
Mr Ofosu Ampofo said in such cases, there was the possibility that the neutrality of the security could be abused and bent to favour the supporters of the DCEs, but added that this could turn into another chaotic situation when opponents of the DCEs felt cheated.
He cited Pru, Techiman, Tamale Central, Akan, Juabeso as some of the areas that these cases occurred, and added that at Juabeso, for instance, a registration centre believed to be the strong hold of the NDC was closed down under the instruction of the DCE, and the police had to comply with the instruction accordingly.