The Electoral Commission (EC) boss Mrs. Jean Mensa has said that they did not receive police operational plans ahead of the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election.
Mrs. Jean Mensa disclosed this when she appeared before the Emile Short Commission to investigate the violence that took place during the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election.
She told the commission that the EC did not receive any detailed briefing from the Police concerning security.
According to the EC ,''Once we provided them with the list, we didn't receive any briefing from them as to how they were going to deploy.''
She added that ''they didn't provide us with the list of personnel they were sending to each of the polling stations.''
The EC boss stated that before the by-elections they met with the police to provide to them the operational plans for the election to carry out operations that day.
Mrs. Mensa said: "We followed up with the list of the polling stations to enable the police to deploy to know the exact locations and allow them to deploy .''
The EC chairperson added that ahead of the 2020 elections, there should be more public education to inform appropriate security agencies when it comes to issues like the Ayawaso by election disturbance.
She also stood by the claims that even though the violence interrupted the election process for 45 mins it was 140 meters away from the polling station, therefore she described the Ayawaso West Wuogon La Bawaleshie election as a peaceful one.
The Electoral Commission(EC) boss Jean Mensah insisted that none of the officers who provided security at the various polling centres during the election was armed.
“There were no armed men who were manning any of the polling stations. I had the opportunity to visit about 15 polling stations and there were no armed men. Nobody has reported the presence of intimidating armed men.†she told the Commission.
In connection with the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election violence, the Emile Short Commission of Inquiry has been tasked to probe into the violence that took place on January 31, 2019.
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