Electorate within the West African population of Ghana are heading to the polls on Saturday to make a decision the rustic’s after parliament and president in nerve-racking, tightly contested elections that come amid biting financial heartbreak and normal frustration with outgoing President Nana Akufo-Addo’s authorities.
The presidential election pits wave Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia of the ruling Pristine Patriotic Celebration (NPP) in opposition to his primary challenger, former President John Dramani Mahama of the opposition Nationwide Democratic Congress (NDC).
Bawumia and Mahama are each from the traditionally deprived northern a part of the rustic and feature rallied crisp to enchantment to their assistance bases. Their approaches to the financial system – Ghana’s primary factor at the moment – fluctuate. Occasion the NPP favours a non-public sector expansion manner, the NDC needs to put in force extra authorities intervention.
“These elections are unique because the north will likely determine the winner for the first time,” analyst Emmanuel Yeboah of the Ghana Heart for Democratic Construction (CDD) informed Al Jazeera.
Certainly one of West Africa’s maximum filthy rich and solid economies, Ghana is understood for its in large part non violent transfers of energy and its general safety in a area the place armed teams store sway.
With 34 million society, it’s the second-most populous nation within the area. The southern Akan crew (46 %) is the biggest ethnic crew and maximum Ghanaians (71 %) are Christians. Accra is the capital town and the forex is the cedi.
Here’s what you wish to have to grasp concerning the vote:
How does vote casting paintings in Ghana?
- Ghanaians 18 and above are eligible. Some 18.8 million society are registered to vote within the 9th normal elections since multiparty vote casting used to be reintroduced in 1992, following years of army rule. Turnout, on reasonable, has been about 70 % in earlier elections.
- Electorate will make a choice representatives for 276 parliamentary seats representing all constituencies.
- Electorate will form at vote casting stations national to obtain their poll papers from 7am West Africa Week (06:00 GMT).
- Of the 12 applicants vying for the lead task of president, there are two favourites: the applicants for the ruling NPP and opposition NDC events.
- The candidate who wins greater than part of votes forged wins the election. Within the match of disagree general majority, a run-off vote between the 2 with essentially the most votes will shoot park, most likely a generation upcoming.
- Result of the election are anticipated by way of Monday, December 10.
Who’re the primary applicants for president?
The Electoral Fee of Ghana has licensed 12 presidential applicants, however it’s extensively accredited that the presidential election is a two-horse race between the established NPP and the opposition NDC.
Presidential energy has shifted between the 2 primary events in similar elections since 1992. Neither birthday party, alternatively, has controlled to “break the eight” or win 3 consecutive presidential phrases. Presidential phrases are for 4 years and disagree person would possibly handover greater than two phrases.
Mahamudu Bawumia
The 61-year-old Oxford graduate and previous central attic deputy represents the ruling NPP and is a Muslim from the traditionally deprived north of the rustic. He’s lately vice chairman of Ghana.
He used to be no longer a frequent select when he first campaigned to be President Akufo-Addo’s deputy in 2016, as he had no longer held a political submit prior to.
As a key participant within the presidential financial control staff, Bawumia has been blamed by way of the opposition for the rustic’s monetary woes. In 2022, Ghana defaulted on its independent debt for the primary year, pushing inflation to exceptional ranges.
Consequently, hovering meals costs, a insufficiency of jobs for younger Ghanaians and alternative problems have broken assistance for the NPP on the whole.
All over his marketing campaign for the presidential election, which ended on Thursday, Bawumia has blamed exterior components like COVID-19 for those financial issues. His staff has additionally emphasized two of the federal government’s largest wins: independent training for senior secondary scholars since 2017 and a “one-district, one factory” plan which has observable the federal government assistance the construction of factories in most of the 261 administrative districts, such because the Twyford Ceramics manufacturing unit which opened within the Shama District of the Western Patch in 2021.
That technique appears to be operating, analysts say. “Some three months ago, many people actually thought it was a clear win for Mahama,” Yeboah of the CDD stated. “Right now, it’s just too close to call.”
Nonetheless, Bawumia faces demanding situations, as many stay in doubt concerning the NPP authorities on the whole. In a rustic the place tribe and faith have a tendency to persuade how society vote, the truth that Bawumia is a northerner, a Muslim and a non-Akan may just additionally paintings in opposition to him.
As the primary NPP candidate no longer from the Twi-speaking Akan crew, he used to be compelled to run with Matthew Opoku Prempeh, a Christian Akan, as his deputy to assuage the ruling birthday party’s conventional house bottom.
If he wins, Bawumia will turn out to be Ghana’s first Muslim president. The NPP would additionally, for the primary year, have gained 3 consecutive phrases in administrative center.
John Dramani Mahama
Mahama, 66, of the opposition NDC birthday party, ascended to the presidency in 2012, nearest President John Atta Turbines died. His tenure till 2016 used to be marked by way of turbulence: drastic energy cuts, in the neighborhood known as “dumsor”, earned him the nickname “Mr Dumsor”.
Govt companies battled allegations of corruption and Mahama used to be additionally accused of receiving bribes from a businessman within the method of a Ford four-wheel force in 2012.
When Mahama misplaced his moment bid for the presidency to Akufo-Addo in 2016, he become the primary incumbent to fail to spot a moment time period. In 2020, he stood for president once more and misplaced to his rival.
On the other hand, the baby-kisser, who may be from the north and is Christian, has campaigned on guarantees of a quick financial fix from NPP rule.
He appeals most commonly to younger society between the ages of 18 and 35, who create up 62 % of the vote casting crowd, in addition to to the NDC’s north and central area bases.
Alan Kyerematen
A former minister and ex-member of the NPP, Kyerematen, 69, exited the birthday party forward of chaotic and disputed primaries past due in 2023.
As an free candidate subsidized by way of his Motion for Exchange birthday party, which he arrange in September 2023, Kyeremetan isn’t anticipated to pose a lot of a problem to the NPP or NDC events. On the other hand, analysts warn that he may just scouse borrow NPP votes in its Akan strongholds, specifically in central Kumasi town, the place the baby-kisser is from.
Nana Kwame Bediako
The actual property trade magnate, 44, is operating as an free candidate, subsidized by way of the Pristine Power motion, which goals younger society.
Prior to he ventured into politics, Bediako used to be extensively referred to as a rich guy with a penchant for aptitude, together with for as soon as protecting puppy tigers in his house.
The announcement of his resolution to be on one?s feet as a presidential candidate got here weeks nearest billboards in Accra confirmed a thriller, masked candidate, and piqued younger society’s hobby. Bediako has promised to finish the rustic’s “brain drain” by way of growing extra jobs.
What are the important thing problems?
Economic system
Ghana is within the throes of its worst financial emergency in a pace, regardless of being a eminent manufacturer of cocoa, gold and oil. Meals costs are hovering and the cedi has plunged in price in opposition to the buck.
The peak of the rustic’s financial emergency used to be in 2022, when Ghana did not create repayments on its exterior money owed – amounting to $30bn – for the primary year. Inflation had risen above 50 % by way of the top of that 12 months and the rustic used to be not able to make investment for refer to 12 months’s funds.
Energy blackouts are customery because the Electrical energy Corporate of Ghana (ECG) owes $1.6bn to personal energy providers. In October 2024, one provider, Sunon Asogli, suspended operations on account of the money owed.
President Akufo-Addo’s authorities used to be compelled to hunt a $3bn Global Financial Treasure (IMF) mortgage package deal to assistance the financial system, despite the fact that he had up to now promised by no means to try this. This generation, the IMF absolved the 3rd tranche of the mortgage, usefulness $360m. The attic absolved $600m in July 2023 and January 2024. Inflation has slowed to twenty % since 2020, however the price of residing extra arduous for lots of.
The 2 primary events fluctuate of their way to solving the financial system. Occasion the ruling NPP favours non-public sector-led expansion to spice up the financial system, the NDC needs to put in force government-led interventionist insurance policies comparable to immense, family infrastructure initiatives in agriculture and production.
Unemployment
Unemployment has clash 14.7 % in Ghana, in line with authorities information from 2023. The insufficiency of jobs is prompting younger Ghanaians, specifically healthcare staff, to proceed clear of Ghana in what has been termed a “brain drain”.
Bawumia’s marketing campaign blames alternative components for this: COVID-19, the Russia-Ukraine warfare or even issues created throughout Mahama’s closing presidency. The vice chairman has promised pristine financial methods: cancelling some taxes, comparable to import tasks on cell phones, as an example.
NDC’s Mahama, for his phase, has made the financial system a cornerstone of his marketing campaign, promising to shorten the selection of ministers to drop authorities spending. He has known as Akufo-Addo and Bawumia’s IMF trade in “reckless”.
Corruption
This generation, a Ghanaian information web site, The Fourth Property, seen that the rustic’s Nationwide Carrier Authority, which recruits graduates to family places of work, used to be paying salaries to 1000’s of “ghost workers”, despite the fact that this declare has no longer been formally investigated.
Ghana ranked seventieth out of 180 nations at the Corruption Perceptions Index in 2023, indicating top ranges of political corruption. Mahama of the NDC has promised an “Operation Return all Loot” and to focus on corrupt officers.
Unlawful mining and air pollution
Referred to as “galamsey”, unlawful gold mining is inflicting pervasive shatter to aqua our bodies that tens of millions rely on for intake and agriculture in Ghana.
Unemployment and better gold costs this 12 months have intensified galamsey, which comes to digging up the topsoil and the usage of aqua and chemical substances together with mercury and cyanide to clean it off and discover items of gold. The park flows again into aqua our bodies such because the River Pra, which is now a polluted murky brown color in consequence. Farmers say the air pollution has crippled cocoa harvests.
In August, Ghana’s aqua authority stated it needed to shorten off 75 % of fresh aqua provides to communities, pronouncing it will no longer take away the dangerous chemical substances and that it used to be unsafe to drink. The topic has precipitated protests and accusations that the federal government is useless in preventing it. Some have known as it an “ecocide”.
Unlawful mining worn to be most commonly confined to the south of the rustic however has additionally unfold to the north, Ewurabena Yanyi-Akofur, nation head of the non-governmental group WaterAid Ghana, informed Al Jazeera.
Analysis by way of WaterAid displays that the communities the place unlawful mining is heaviest additionally endure fitness problems comparable to chest ache, similar to their paintings and the polluted aqua. On the other hand, when requested, unlawful miners say they have got disagree selection on account of the insufficiency of jobs.
“You have to feel sympathy for their situation. Unemployment rates are high, and climate change has resulted in less reliable rainfall that’s affecting farming,” Yanyi-Akofur added.
By way of 2030, if issues don’t trade, WaterAid predicts Ghana would possibly running over of potable aqua altogether, and can be compelled to import aqua from its neighbours.
May there be outbreaks of violence throughout those elections?
Occasion elections in Ghana had been in large part non violent within the age, wallet of violence may well be most likely this year, mavens say.
“Some hotspots we are watching are Accra and the Central Region, which are swing regions that any of the candidates could win,” analyst Yeboah of Ghana CDD stated.
Portions of the Northern Patch, which is now tensely fracture between Bawumia and Mahama, may just additionally eyewitness some violence, he stated.