Police Bloodied...Court Gives LMVCA Green-light To Picket At EC!
An Accra Magistrate Court has granted pressure group, Let My Vote Count Alliance (LMVCA) permission to picket at the premises of the Electoral Commission (EC).
According to the court, the exparte injunction secured by the Police had elapsed its 10 day lawful existence, hence the go ahead by th court for LMVCA to picket at the EC office.
The police secured an injunction preventing pressure groups LMVCA and Alliance For Accountable Governance (AFAG) from picketing at the EC office on 29th September, 2015.
According to the police, the EC office is a security zone hence the groups should use a specified route to present their petition to an appointed EC official.
An earlier demonstration organised by the group and its allies nearly a fortnight ago, resulted in an ugly confrontation between the demonstrators and the police after the former allegedly tried to use unapproved route in the course of their protest march, compelling the police to unleash brute force on them.
Beaten but not broken, the protesters served notice of their intention to schedule a second protest for September 29, 2015, since they were unable to submit their petition to the EC as planned during the first demonstration.
The high-handed approach adopted by the police to force the demonstrators to comply with the law was heavily criticised by many.
One person lost an eye and several others suffered severe head and body bruises as a result of the brutalities meted out to the protesters.
The police claimed the main intent behind the group's resolve to still picket at the EC premises is to enable them vandalize properties and cause disturbances at the place.
Gt. Accra Regional Police Commander, DCOP Christian Tetteh Yohonu, told Accra-based Okay FM Morning Show host, Kwame Nkrumah "Tikese" that, an intelligence report by the Police indicates that the LMVCA protesters have a suspicious plan of destroying properties at the offices of the EC under the guise of embarking on a peaceful demonstration.
“The EC is for all of us and not for LMVCA – why the entrenched position to go to the EC all the time, when the person to reach and present your petition has agreed and is prepared to meet you at the final destination to receive your petition?” he queried.
However, the organisers of the demonstration say they intend seeing through their set objective; picketing at the EC premises
The group thus went to court on Monday to set aside an injunction filed by the Police restraining them from embarking on a second demonstration to back calls for a new voters register ahead of the 2016 elections.
David Asante, Convener, LMVCA, told PeaceFM's "Kokrokoo" Morning Show host, Kwame Sefa Kayi that being law abiding citizens, they only sought an interpretation of the police action from the court and are pleased to have been given the green light to picket at the EC office.
According to him, Justice Essandoh who presided over the case, said the order was meant to last for ten days which elapsed today, September 28, 2015.
"...the court (Justice Essandoh) also pointed out that if the police so wished, they could come back to court with a fresh motion for another restraining order....and they must do so this time on notice...so we (protesters) will have an opportunity to oppose it if we so wish...The court ruled that the police had no right to stop us from picketing at the premises of the EC...this is good news for democracy” he told Kwami Sefa Kayi.
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