Parties urged to seek clearance

She said those planning a meeting should apply through the officer commanding the district.
“This enables them to have discussions on how everything will be done and an assessment is done at the venue,” said Asst Comm Charamba.
“I want to correct certain perceptions that police have made blunders in certain incidents, we did not make blunders but correct procedures should be followed. Consultations are not done with the headquarters or the commissioner general.

“When we are approaching elections and referendum it’s four days before and this notice is given to the authority. After receiving, the regulating authority who is the district police officer, sits with the convener and look at the modalities. It can go or it can stop basing on the assessment of the regulating authority.”
Asst Comm Charamba said consultations were done between the convener and the regulating authority who would be on the ground.

“He is the one who makes the assessment and says yes we can proceed and do the public gathering,” she said. “It has to be very clear, we are going towards elections and many people will be holding meetings and we want to be very clear and it is in the law that the procedures should be followed.”