We would like to inform the public that on the, 9.01.2020, we participated in a meeting called by the Electoral Commission, to help streamline the conduct of consultative meetings by Aspiring Presidential Candidates and also further remind the selected stakeholders from the Electoral Commission, Police and other aspiring presidential candidates, about their respective roles during the consultative process.
At the end of the meeting, members agreed on the following areas; that there will be no processions during the consultations; that the Electoral Commission would formulate regulations, Under Section 88 of the Presidential Elections Act; and that the ten (10) areas proposed by “People Power”, be formally presented before the committee, for further discussions and way forward in the best interests of the Electoral Commission, Police and “People Power” group.
It was however, unfortunate that the representatives from the “People Power” group, chose to deliberately misinform the public, when they presented their draft proposals as the official position of the committee. This conduct showed that they seemed not to have understood the objective of the meeting. They further claimed that the police delegation had admitted to making mistakes while policing the consultations, which was wrongly carried forward by selected media outlets like, the NBS and Daily Monitor. We found it unrealistic and absolutely inaccurate for these media houses, to promote a narrative that was misleading, yet there are recordings to support the discussions.
As we wait for the official statement from the Electoral Commission, we would like to remind and reassure all political actors and groups, that the police is not there to victimise them. We pledge to continue upholding the highest standards of electoral policing, affording equal rights and respect to all politicians. We also call upon them to respect and observe the Law in the conduct of their political activities.
CP Enanga Fred
Police Spokesperson
10th January 2020
