EC pushes for sanctions against NDC thugs over property destruction

The Electoral Commission (EC) is pushing for sanctions against thugs from the National Democratic Congress over the destruction of its properties in Suhum.

Thugs from the party on Thursday stormed the Suhum office of the EC, ransacked the office and destroyed printers, disrupting the voter transfer exercise.

The Suhum branch of the party has taken responsibility for the incident, saying it was due to miscommunication and apologised.

"As a constituency executive, the only thing we can say to the Electoral Commission is that we are sorry. Probably there must have been a miscommunication. They [EC] are there for us and we are there for them," Suhum Constituency Organiser of NDC, Kofi Wayo, said.

However, speaking on Citi FM Friday, the Director of Communications at the EC, Eric Dzakpasu, decried the criminal act.

He said: “Whether it is in the realm of politics or not people must be punished, law enforcement must work. Because the EC is not empowered to do anything beyond reporting to the appropriate authorities about this incident and some of these incidents happen and some of the security services know.

"In the case of Suhum, my colleague indicated that the people who perpetuated this act are well known in the community. They are known to the police and those around so why should be allowed to go free?”

"What we are witnessing at some of these offices are now acts of criminality and ones they are acts of criminality; I think law enforcement must come to play otherwise all that would be witnessed would be impunity.

The EC officer certainly went to the Police to lodge a complaint and that should be enough as a way of pressing for charges; and if a criminal comes to accept his criminality and apologizes I think in law, the appropriate sanctions must be applied especially where the people have come forward to accept criminality.”

EC offices in various parts of the country have recently recorded attacks over some disagreements in their respective areas.

Clashes between supporters of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) and opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Central Gonja District has led to the closure of the EC office in that area.

Officers of the commission are said to have sought refuge at the police station after the two rivalry parties went on a rampage at the premises of the office over the on-going voter transfer exercise.

The commission has therefore suspended all processes in the area.

A similar incident happened in Buipe in the Northern Region where a clash between the NPP and NDC led to the shutdown of the EC office in the area.