You Want Our Vote...& You're Already Violating Laws...What If You Gain Power? - Pratt

Kwesi Pratt, Managing Editor of the Insight newspaper, has condemned the acts of violence that have characterized the ongoing registration exercise.

Kwesi Pratt, speaking on Kokrokoo on Peace FM, found it difficult to fathom the logic in sending thugs to the polling stations to cause mayhem.

He was addressing an alleged clash between the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the Member of Parliament for Manhyia North in the Region.

Bernard Antwi Boasiako is alleged to have slapped and assaulted the Member of Parliament, Collins Owusu Amankwa.

The incident occurred Sunday evening at a registration center called Nana Fodjour House in Krofom, Kumasi.

Reports also indicate that electoral Officers in one of the polling centers in the Asokore Mampong Municipality were forced to put the registration exercise on hold until armed police officers were able to deal with some thugs who invaded their premise and destroyed several items belonging to the Commission.

The Constituency Chairman of the National Democratic Congress together with the thugs he arrived with were arrested and made to lie on the floor before the police whisked them away.

In another unfortunate incident, this time recorded in the Brong Ahafo Region, member of Parliament for Asutifi South constituency, Alhaji Collins Dauda, was accused by the New Patriotic Party's Parliamentary candidate for the area for brewing chaos in the ongoing Biometric Voter registration exercise.

Madam Cecilia Gyan Amoah claims a heavily built men sighted in a Nissan Pick Up truck belonging to Alhaji Dauda's brother, Naaba Abdullai, on Thursday beat up one of the NPP's polling agent who had challenged a young man who had failed to provide an accurate information of his residence.

Clearly disgusted with the conduct of some political figures in the country, the Senior Journalist wondered why they would employ thugs to instigate violence at polling centres during a simple on-going registration exercise.

He slammed both the ruling National Democratic Congress and the opposition New Patriotic Party for inciting their members to pick up arms and called for a cessation of hostilities.

He also condemned the culture where "macho men" are used to terrorize people in the country, saying "you who wants us to vote for you, and you're doing this today...contravening the laws, what if we vote for you? Now that we've not even voted for you, look at what you're doing. You're violating the laws. What if we vote for you to gain power?"

Also contributing to the discussion were NPP Communicator Henry Nana Boakye and Chief Hamilton Biney, a member of the Government's Communication Team who both expressed worry over the latest incidents of violence.

They called for peace to prevail and strongly held that any act of violence whether emanating from the incumbent party or opposition should be strongly condemned in no uncertain terms.