A security specialist with the Kofi Annan Peacekeeping Centre has advised government to refrain from using the military to play main security roles in the ensuing December polls.
Colonel Festus Aboagye (Rtd) said exposing the military to the political scene could be bad news for the country considering the fact that their presence at some voter registration centres caused the registrants to be intimidated.
“On December 7, I would wish that we don’t get the military anywhere close to where the citizens are casting their ballots. They can be part of what the police call a rapid reaction force or patrols in order that confidence will be built among the population who will be encouraged to vote.”
“It is my personal opinion that some of the missions or tasks that we got the military to undertake and the way and manner in which the soldiers on the ground sought to undertake those tasks draws the military into the political battle space. This is not healthy that in this election when there is no provision in CI 126 for any form of pre-screening,” he said.
He added that, if their services are needed at any point in time, they should be deployed to work alongside the Police Service.
Speaking on the Joy FM’s Super Morning Show, Colonel Aboagye (Rtd) stressed the risk involved in using the military during democratic processes defeats the country’s democratic gains.
“Any function which technically relates to EC work; inspection of ID cards, certification of identities are not the function of the election security team members. Theirs is to deal with security issues that emanate from the process not to be in the thick of it.”
“Ideally only police must be deployed at the static points where the elections will take place, that way we are protecting the military from getting involved in the politics of the country which has its dangers. Our history shows,” he explained.
He condemned the incidents of violence that characterized the just ended voters registration exercise as a result of military presence in some parts of the country.
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I’m Deborah Aba Narkoah. I’m an avid reader, writer and public speaker.
