Political parties have been warned by the National Election Security Task Force (NESTF) not to utilise "machomen," or well-built people, to scare voters on election day.

NESTF Chairman Dr. George Akuffo Dampare strongly objected to political parties dressing party foot soldiers in state security uniforms on election day in order to cause chaos at polling stations at a meeting with political parties on December 3.

The meeting with the political parties was a sequel to one that was conducted two weeks prior to discuss their readiness for a free and violent election on Saturday, December 7.

Following a police-selected intelligence in certain constituencies, three election security-related concerns were presented for discussion with political party representatives.

The NESTF's de-escalation plan

The task force would not hesitate to deal with anybody who may have broken the law, Dr. George Akuffo Dampare said.

"This culture of machoism which makes people think that biceps are ways to determine a person's strength will not be tolerated," he added. He continued, "We will find a place for that person to sleep if any of such people are found closer to a polling station, a community, an environment, or a collation centre trying to intimidate the people."

"We have brought you here to inform you of our plans so that you (political parties) won't say that we have taken sides when we begin to act," the IGP went on.

In order to give the appearance that they are security personnel and incite chaos at polling places, he also cautioned against party foot soldiers dressing in state security outfits.

The systems put in place by the election security task force to ensure the elections go smoothly were praised by the political party members in attendance.

Speaking on behalf of his party, Fifi Fiavi Kwetey, general secretary of the National Democratic Congress, stated that members assigned by the party to work on election day will be pushed to follow the guidelines provided by the task force.

Evans Nimako, the New Patriotic Party's director of elections, stated that the party is always prepared to follow the regulations. Nonetheless, he voiced alarm over the spread of false information on the election process, which he claimed needed to be stopped. Representatives of other political groups, such as the All Peoples Congress and the Convention People's Party, urged collaboration with the security guards assigned to the voting places.