Ghanaian think tank urges proactive security ahead of polls

A Ghanaian policy think tank has urged security agencies in Ghana to take proactive measures ahead of the country's general election in December.

While presenting a pre-election survey, the Center for Democratic Development-Ghana (CDD-Ghana) said the findings of the survey should prompt Ghanaian security agencies to be proactive rather than reactive.

Out of 2,680 respondents from the 10 regions (provinces) of the country, 15 percent said they would prefer their candidates emerged victorious even if it was done in an unfair manner, according to the survey.

"This means that for the 15 percent, they want their candidates to use all means to win the elections," Senior Research Fellow of CDD-Ghana Daniel Armah-Attoh said, describing it as a national challenge.

The research further revealed that the Northern Region (Province) was the most violence-prone region, with 53 percent of the respondents saying the region could end up in violence after the declaration of results.

However, strongholds of the two leading parties, the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the main opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), are less likely to be violent, it said.

The Ghanaian police administration has already identified some 5,000 potential hot spots across the country and is mapping strategies to contain the situation should any mishap occur before, during or after the polls.

Ghanaians will go to the polls on December 7 to elect a president and 275 parliamentarians. Endit