Political Science lecturer at the University of Ghana, Dr Kwame Asah-Asante, has called on political actors to stay out of police affairs to enable the Ghana Police Service to effectively tackle electoral violence and political vigilantism.

He said political interference has weakened the ability of the police to deal decisively with groups whose activities threaten Ghana’s electoral process.

Speaking on the AM Show on JoyNews via Zoom, Dr Asah-Asante said political actors have, over the years, contributed to the activities of vigilante groups by using them to advance their interests, particularly during elections.

He said political violence in Ghana had evolved from incidents such as ballot-box snatching into more organised forms of electoral vigilantism.

According to him, the challenge is compounded by the tendency to pay attention to electoral violence only when elections are approaching.

“The political temperature is so high because we virtually sit on pressure points,” he said.

Dr Asah-Asante also expressed concern about the lack of sufficiently deterrent punishment for people involved in electoral violence and related activities.

He urged political leaders to allow the police to operate independently and without political interference.

“If we want peace to reign, then we must allow the police…” he said, stressing the need for reforms to strengthen the independence of the service.

Dr Asah-Asante proposed that the appointment of the head of the police service should involve a neutral body as part of measures to enhance public confidence in the institution.

He commended the police for continuing to perform their duties despite the challenges they face but argued that greater institutional independence would enable the service to deal more effectively with electoral offenders.

The lecturer further urged political parties and their supporters to make elections a contest of ideas, policies and achievements rather than intimidation and violence.

He said political leaders must take responsibility for creating an environment in which voters can freely participate in elections without fear.

Dr Asah-Asante stressed that electoral security is essential to the credibility of Ghana’s democratic process.

He called for concerted efforts to ensure that incidents of electoral violence are eliminated from communities across the country, warning that recurring violence could undermine public confidence in democratic institutions.

He urged political actors to focus on their policies and records in seeking votes instead of relying on groups whose activities could threaten peace and democratic stability.