Election in Ghana: The Final Countdown

Akwaaba! While the dust has settled on a U.S. election that captured the world's imagination and interest, the excitement in Ghana for its latest round of democratic, multi-party elections, is just hitting a fever pitch. Everyone is talking about the election (except on tro-tros where public debate has been banned due to intense passions in closed quarters!) as we move into the final week of campaigning, and it seems as though things will work out. African elections are always a little tense and the continent, if not the world, will be watching Ghana, to see if it really is as stable as everyone seems to want to believe it is. I know that "seems" is a rather loaded, ambiguous word, and my use of it is deliberate as democratic elections are only as good as they are just and fair.

There seems to be few rules about posting election materials and the faces of Nana Akufo Addo and Professor John Evans Atta Mills, thought to be two front-runners, are everywhere. The ruling party, the National Patriotic Party, (outgoing) President Kufour's, is said to be the favourite and my sense is that they are a right-leaning party. Nana Akufo Addo is their candidate and his main press shot is so grandfatherly and cheerful it makes him look like the black Wilford Brimley (minus the moustache)! Their close rivals and opposition, the New Democratic Congress, are represented by the all-inclusive, rather liberal, umbrella, and they are pitching themselves as the party of change (this isn't the only parallel with President-elect Obama's campaign). There are eight other candidates (I think), each with its own party, but I think the only hopeful is the far-left leaning "Jack Layton" of Ghanaian politics, the Convention People's Party and their candidate Papa Kwesi Nduom. His party was formed by the father of independence, Kwame Nkrumah, but it doesn't appear (to my untrained eye) that they will win.

There is a great deal of concern of the voter registry and the carrying out of fair elections. When we first arrived here, there had been some turmoil in the north connected with the elections and while it made for a tense few weeks, it did settle down. Every party has been promoting their "manifesto" (this is the term they use for their platform) and they organize parades that march and sing around the city and the town. There are cars with big speakers and propaganda that drive around town extolling each party's message. The sellers flog fans, tissue boxes, t-shirts, calendars, scarves, flags and a host of other goods with the party logos on it, and debates can get pretty fierce, though not usually violent. The big issues are traffic, economic development (particularly around the recent discovery of oil), poverty, policing, corruption and the cost of living. Needless to say, there will be a lot of eyes on Ghana this weekend, as the voting takes place on Sunday (that's right...Sunday!). Perhaps now, you too will be watching--I sincerely hope that what you see is yet another peaceful display of the growth and progress of democracy in Ghana.

The day after I posted this entry, the following arrived in my inbox from the Canadian High Commission in Ghana:

"The High Commission of Canada would like to remind Canadian citizens that presidential and parliamentary elections are scheduled for December 7, 2008 and if necessary, a run-off election will be held on December 28, 2008. There is the potential for gatherings of large crowds, demonstrations and political rallies in all parts of the country; these should be avoided. We wish to remind Canadian citizens that even demonstrations and rallies intended to be peaceful can lead to outbreaks of violence. Canadians are advised to avoid circulating near polling stations and political offices and if possible, Canadians should remain at home on Elections Day (s). As a normal precaution, the High Commission of Canada recommends that Canadians keep extra supplies of food, water and batteries at their homes."

More to come?