Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Kofi Boakye, the Ashanti Regional Police Commander, has called on political parties to work harder as they seek to obtain the mandate from the electorate.
He said no security agency is ready to support any political party to rig, and win the December 7 polls hence the need for political parties to avoid unnecessary suspicions and concentrate on ways to win more voters.
DCOP Boakye made the call at the opening session of a three-day training workshop for journalists and media practitioners in Kumasi. The data journalism training attended by selected journalists from Brong-Ahafo, Ashanti, Upper East, Upper West, and Northern regions is being organized by the Penplusbytes, an international institute for ICT Journalism with support from the US Embassy in Accra.
It forms part of activities under the “Voter’s count – amplifying voices through new digital platform project” being implemented by the Penplusbytes to improve access to electoral information, create space for citizens dialogue and promote issue based approach to campaigning during the coming elections.
The workshop also seeks to strengthen the skills of participants, and help them leverage their knowledge and experience for improved coverage of election 2016 and provide them with skills for telling data driven stories using techniques of data analysis among others.
DCOP Boakye said security agencies are determined to exercise their constitutional duties with impeccable integrity devoid of partiality and biases. He said eligible voters could also make inform choice if they are abreast and understand the political party manifestos and entreated the political parties to reach to the people and canvass for more votes.
DCOP Boakye said the security of the general election one way or the other depended on the media and urged practitioners to avoid politicization of issues, peddling of lies, misrepresentation and misinformation as well.
“As Journalist we must endeavor to submerge our individual interest and put national interest on the front line” the police commander said, explaining that the media could do this if they analyze information and blacklist those which have the potential to endanger national peace.
DCOP Boakye affirmed that the police would not spare any trouble maker, and asked political parties to ensure that their followers obey the law. Kwami Ahiabenu II, the Executive Director of Penplusbytes, said the media plays critical role in the general election since it is through the media that eligible voters could be given the opportunity to decide which political party they could choose.
He said though Ghana had gone through six successful elections since 1992, challenges of voter apathy, electoral offences, and disputes continued to dominate the electoral process. Mr Kwaku Sereboa, the Ashanti Regional Director of the Electoral Commission (EC), said there is the need for the media to get themselves abreast with and understand the electoral laws to be able to report on the election effectively and efficiently.
He was unhappy that some media practitioners did not understand basic differences between spoiled and rejected ballots, polling stations and polling centers as well as counting, recounting and collation of ballots as well as electoral and voting processes. Mr Sereboa said the EC is committed to ensure a credible election and added the need for the media to support such a cause by crosschecking election facts and figures from the commission.