The Police in the Northern Region say they were unable to dispatch officers to control Thursday’s clash between supporters of the two main political parties in Wulensi because they were not invited to the rallies.
Regional Police PRO, Ebenezer Tetteh, said political parties are mandated by law to notify the police whenever they are holding any political activity, adding this is often not done.
He said the police would have encouraged individuals and the political parties who clashed not to engage in any illegality if they had deployed officers to quell the clash.
“The law clearly spells out what they should do and we have been telling them,” he told Joy News’ Beatrice Adu Friday on News Desk on the JOYNEWS Channel, Multi TV.
At least five people have been injured when the supporters of the two dominating parties clashed Thursday in Wulensi Constituency in the Nanumba South District where the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and New Patriotic Party (NPP) held rallies.
The incident which is the third in series of such clashes between the two parties took place in a village called Tinangeria in the Constituency.
The first clash occurred in Garikpe allegedly engineered by NDC supporters who ambushed a group of NPP supporters who were on a campaign trail.
The second incident happened some last week in Nakpayili in the same Constituency which was said to have been sparked by a piece of land the two parties were in dispute over.
The Wulensi Constituency is one of the flashpoints identified by police in the upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections which is 11 days away.
But police say representatives of the various political parties have failed to take precaution whenever they are organising political activities despite the consistent reminder to that effect.
“We provide security especially when the two parties are holding rallies even when they are a distance away.
“Our advice to them is that they should try and collaborate effectively,” ASP Tetteh said.
He said the police are putting in place measures to clamp down activities of individuals and political parties who want to foment violence ahead of the December 7 polls in the Region.
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