A former Energy Minister and Chairman-aspirant of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Boakye Kyeremanteng Agyarko, says the heavy police presence at voting centres during the Ayawaso East by-election may be necessary, but it exposes a worrying weakness in Ghana’s democratic evolution.

His remarks come as voting proceeds in a by-election at the Ayawaso East constituency of the Greater Accra Region, where security deployment has been visibly heightened to maintain order.

Speaking to JoyNews on Tuesday, March 3, Mr Agyarko said while law enforcement at polling stations is “okay,” it should not be the foundation upon which peaceful elections are built.

“It’s good to have police presence, but it speaks negatively of our evolution in our democracy,” he said. “Do we need to be forced or compelled to conduct ourselves decently and properly at voting centres?”

According to him, discipline in a democracy should come from citizens’ sense of duty rather than enforcement.

“Discipline does not mean someone is forcing you to do something. Discipline means you know what is right and you do it, and you know what is wrong and you desist from it without anybody telling you,” he stressed.

The Ayawaso East by-election is taking place amid heightened political attention, though historically, by-elections in Ghana have recorded low voter turnout. Mr Agyarko attributed this partly to public perception.

“By-elections are not that patronised in this country,” he noted. “Secondly, by-elections in strongholds are presumed as foregone conclusions. And that in itself depresses voter turnout.”

He suggested these factors, rather than police presence alone, may be contributing to low enthusiasm among voters.

Beyond the by-election, Mr Agyarko also weighed in on internal party processes within the NPP, defending the party’s traditional bottom-up voting structure.

“Voting from bottom up is not a ritual. It is a strategy of renewal and giving people a new lease of life and a new mandate,” he said, adding that the approach has been the party’s norm since its inception.

He maintained that internal democracy must continue to reflect renewal rather than mere tradition.

As voting continues in Ayawaso East, Mr Agyarko urged journalists and political actors to promote civic responsibility and peaceful participation without relying solely on security enforcement.

“I would wish that we get to that stage in the evolution of our democracy,” he said, expressing hope for a political culture where citizens act responsibly out of conviction, not compulsion.