The Institute for Liberty and Policy Innovation (ILAPI) has underscored the need for conflict and security experts to be added to the Eminent Advisory Council inaugurated by the Electoral Commission (EC).
It said peaceful elections was not religious even though the country is a religious country, peaceful elections goes beyond that assumption since elections attract threats from diverse groups.
“Effective election security measures are important, should include engagement of conflict and security expertise to ensure voters safety, security of an election is significant advantage to maintaining peace and stability before, during and after elections,” the institute said.
This was contained in a statement issued in Accra by the Executive Director of ILAPI, Bismark Kwofie and noted that security planning can’t be effective and efficient when it occurred before electoral processes.
“It is not too late for EC to include academia, security and conflict transformation experts towards holistic coordination, secured, peaceful elections because security and conflict management are integral to goals of elections and inseparable part of electoral processes.
“The country’s elections are becoming vulnerable to range of security threats against voters, information, logistics, conflict and security experts are needed on the Eminent Advisory Council of EC since elections attract threats from diverse groups.
“Globally, terrorists have capacity and motivation to destabilise country’s elections, security is imperative, provision of equitable security before and during electoral processes is preeminent to retaining voters’ confidence and commitment to elections.
“Effective election security measures are important, should include engagement of conflict and security expertise to ensure voters safety, security of election is significant advantage to maintaining peace and stability before, during and after elections.
“It is of much concern the 21 eminent advisory council has no conflict or security experts to equally coordinate information and structures with the public, but religious leaders to fast and pray for peaceful elections.
“It is not too late for the EC to include the academia, security and conflict transformation experts for holistic coordination for secured and peaceful elections,” the statement said. -rainbowradioonline.com
