There is heavy deployment of armed police officers to the Asawase constituency following disagreements between members of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the area.
Muntaka Mubarak, the Member of Parliament for the constituency, had raised concerns over a polling station he claimed is sited at the residence of the NPP Constituency Ward Chairman.
The Adom Drinking Spot Center located at Asabi in the Constituency is one of the new centres created by the Electoral Commission.
The Asawase legislator insists the Electoral Commission must relocate the centre to a nearby school since the current location of the station could fuel suspicion.
“With the exception of this very polling station where we have this challenge, apart from the social distancing not being observed, you can’t place a polling station in somebody’s residence. He has rooms. If someone comes with suspicions that he has packed people into the room, how can you say he should open his private room for you to inspect? We are saying that there is a school here, let’s relocate the polling station there.”
Muntaka said the Electoral Commission also failed to notify political parties of the location of that polling station 21 days prior to the registration exercise as expected.
Meanwhile, the Municipal Chief Executive for Asokore Mampong who is also leading the NPP in the area insisted the centre will not be moved.
“Polling stations everywhere are either in front of someone’s property, someone’s business area or in someone’s house. Where do we site polling stations, if not on someone’s property? Do we site it on a road? If we move this, it means all the polling station in the constituency must be moved. In fact, in front of the NDC chairman’s father’s house, there is a polling station. This is where the polling station was gazetted and it should be left here. We are okay with it,” he said.
Earlier, armed police officers sent out a supporter of the NDC who threatened to invoke curses on the Electoral Commission over some issues.
His actions nearly resulted in fisticuffs between some NDC and NPP supporters.
