An election security taskforce has been set up in the Ashanti Region to see to the smooth and peaceful conduct of the coming district level elections.

It draws its membership from the security agencies – the military, police, Bureau of National Investigations (BNI), prisons, fire and immigration services.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Kofi Boakye, the Regional Police Commander, is its Chairman.

Mr Samuel Sarpong, the Regional Minister, inaugurating it at a ceremony, asked them to be fair, firm and even-handed to make the elections pass off without incidents.

They should assure voters of adequate security protection to enable everybody to go out and vote, free from fear or intimidation.

He noted that the district assembly and unit committee elections were vital to the promotion of effective grass-root participation in local governance and that was why the people should shed apathy and turn out in their numbers on voting day.

DCOP Boakye pledged to create a serene and relax atmosphere for a successful election and warned trouble makers to stay away from the 4,628 polling stations and 1,058 coalition centres.