General News of Monday, 4 August 2008

Source: GNA

Police cautions political parties and supporters

Kumasi, Aug. 4, GNA- The Ashanti Regional Police Commander has advised political parties and their supporters to eschew acts calculated to disrupt the on-going voters registration exercise in the region. It expressed dissatisfaction about reported cases of violence and malpractices that had plagued certain registration centres in the region since the exercise commenced last Thursday.

These were contained in a statement signed by Deputy Commissioner of Police, Mr Kwaku Ayesu Opare-Addo, Ashanti Regional Police Commander, released to the media in Kumasi on Monday.

It advised that any person with grievances concerning the exercise should acquire a copy of the challenge form provided at the centres and file a complaint for the law to take its own course. The statement said "Any unlawful means of tackling the situation will not be countenanced by the police".

It said the Command had received intelligence reports on certain persons trying to assist potential voters to double register to give undue advantage to their political parties in the 2008 Election. The statement said some people also went to registration centres with list of individuals and house numbers claiming that such people were not qualified to take part in the exercise.

It warned that any person found indulging in any malpractices that could disrupt the registration exercise would be arrested and prosecuted in accordance with the law.