The Coalition of Domestic Election Observers (CODEO) has said the decision by Member of Parliament for Awutu Senya East, Mavis Hawa Koomson, to fire warning shots at a registration centre in the constituency was selfish.
Project Manager for CODEO, Rhoda Osei Afful, said the incident was unfortunate and must be condemned in the strongest possible terms.
“We understand the need for political parties to be vigilant about the process but at the same time vigilance must be conducted within the framework of the law. So we cannot just resort to all manner of means just because we want to protect our interest. This is quite selfish and very much against the interest of the country and I feel we all must condemn this in the strongest possible terms,” the CODEO Project Manager said on Joy News’ PM Express.
Mavis Hawa Koomson admitted on Monday, July 20, 2020, that she fired a gun at a voters registration centre in Kasoa.
“None of my men had guns on then when we got to the centre. I fired the shots myself,” the MP, who is also Special Development Initiatives Minister, told Adom FM.
She added that the gunshot was a way of protecting herself at the registration centre since her police escort had not started working that day.
The MP indicated she went to the place because she heard her opponent had bussed people from other places to the registration centre.
“I’m a Member of Parliament, I need to protect myself. It was at dawn, my police escort had not started work yet. So that is a mechanism I have adopted in his absence,” she said.
On Monday the Kasoa Peace Town Top Hill Down polling station was closed down by the officials of the Electoral Commission after gun-wielding men stormed the premises.
Rhoda Osei Afful urged political party executives to go through the appropriate mechanisms to air their grievances during the electoral processes.
She said the refusal of party executives to go through the right channels when there is an issue creates room for violence.
Member of Parliament for Awutu Senya East, Mavis Hawa Koomson