Ghana: December 2008 Elections in Ghana

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Ghana: December 2008 Elections in Ghana A N E P W WEST AFRICA NETWORK FOR PEACEBUILDING B u e i c ld a in e g r P Re fo NOVEMBER 27, 2008 lationships GHANA DECEMBER 2008 ELECTIONS IN GHANA: STAKES, CHALLENGES & PERSPECTIVES In recognition of the role and achievements of the West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP) in Conflict Prevention and Peacebuilding in Africa, particularly in West Africa, the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations at its substantive session of 2006 granted WANEP Special Consultative Status to the UN. WANEP is therefore mandated to designate official representatives to the United Nations in New York, Geneva and Vienna to further its advocacy and outreach strategies for peace and human security. 1. INTRODUCTION general anticipation is that, past glory economic issues that may potentially should set the stage for widening present or likely be exploited for electoral In ten days Ghanaians would be going to and future democratic platforms that purposes. the polls to choose members of must ensure that the new polls should be III.Strengths (reasons for hope) of the parliament and a new President. The better than the previous. Nothing should Ghanaian system: Despite the campaign euphoria and enthusiasm is be taken for granted. It is in the light of this challenges, systems have evolved heightening as the political and media great expectation and hope that WANEP some shock absorbers and institutional landscape is rife with slogans, posters and envisaged this briefing. structures capable of arresting the v o t e r e n t i c i n g m e s s a g e s . fears and threats to peaceful elections. Notwithstanding, the heated socio- This policy brief examines and analyzes: This section highlights those strengths political atmosphere has also been I. The critical stakes: the issues at stake as we look up to the December 7, 2008 characterised by sporadic outbreaks of (political context): this is briefly polls in the context of the socio- violence resulting in loss of lives and examined through a flash back into political landscape in Ghana; destruction of property. Given the fact history since independence and the IV.Envisaged scenarios: We would that Ghana's election is so critical not only various political leanings that emerged attempt painting envisaged scenarios for the country's drive towards and though truncated by the years of (good and bad cases) emanating from unperturbed democratic consolidation military coups, the ideologies did not the analysis and realities on ground; but also serves as the hope for Africa's die. Politics today is still very much V. Options for response: This would be in democracy that has backpedalled in influenced and haunted by this past. the form of recommendations to major hitherto progressive countries, the Our analyses are that this past must be stakeholders. All in all, WANEP posits importance of Ghana's election cannot be o v e r c o m e t h r o u g h g e n u i n e that nothing should be taken for overstated. reconciliation so that Ghana can granted even as we strongly admonish continue to lead in its strides towards a that Ghana cannot afford to disappoint Irrespective of the history of its stormy sustainable democratic culture. We Africa. A successful election in Ghana past with memories of military regimes also examine the implications for would redeem an African image that between 1966 to 1969, 1972 to 1979, and Africa. has just been recently soiled in Kenya 1981 to 1992, Ghana has conducted four II. Threats of and/or accelerators of and Zimbabwe, giving the false regularly scheduled multi-party elections violence: This section examines the impression that democracy is (1992, 1996, 2000, and 2004) - and now various incidents and indicators retrograding or cannot work in Africa. heading towards its fifth one in December perceived to constitute a threat to 20081. Notwithstanding the country's four peaceful elections. Some of the issues consistent electoral track records, the are imbedded on cultural and socio- 1 E.Gyimah-Boadi, Afrobarometre Briefing Paper No. 51. June 2008: (Popular Attitudes To Democracy in Ghana, 2008). West Africa Early Warning & EARLY RESPONSE Network (WARN) The West Africa Early Warning Network Community of West African States (ECOWAS) the framework of capacity building in (WARN) is an integral part of the West Africa sub-region including Cameroon and Chad. Our Conflict Prevention. One of the goals of this Preventive Peacebuilding Program co- focus was initially the Mano River Basin agreement is to interface WARN with the ordinated by the West Africa Network for countries of Sierra Leone, Guinea, Liberia, and ECOWAS Early Warning Systems to optimize Peacebuilding (WANEP). Through its WARN Côte d'Ivoire. We have since expanded to early warning and conflict prevention in Program, WANEP is setting the stage for a cover the entire West Africa sub-region. West Africa. In view of this development, civil society-based early warning and WANEP has been operating a liaison office response network in Africa with emphasis on Since 2002, WANEP entered into an located at the ECOWAS Commission in human security. agreement with ECOWAS through the signing Abuja, Nigeria since April 2003. of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in WARN covers the entire Economic Copy Right: WANEP© 2008 GHANA DECEMBER 2008 ELECTIONS IN GHANA: STAKES, CHALLENGES & PERSPECTIVES 2. THE CRITICAL STAKES OF THE discourse. Nonetheless, the lower prospect comments by grassroots party loyalists with DECEMBER 2008 GHANA ELECTIONS for the new generation of Nkrumahists to outbreaks of violence as the election draws compete at the same political platform with closer. The intense mutual suspicion and This section attempts to identity what it is the Danquah-Busiaists traditions today has antipathy existing between the key political that makes this election different from past weakened the hitherto competitive parties requires a concerted effort by all elections, delving into issues that serve as tensions between them. Interestingly, the actors to ensure violence free polls. motivating factors driving the electorate contemporary bitter political rivalry and the to be elected. between the Rawlingsists (NDC) and 2.2. Consolidation versus Change Danquah-Busiaists (NPP) is a reminiscence The central competing issue would be 2.1. Political History and the Ideological of the earlier post-independent days pitched on consolidating democratic gains Divide between the predecessors of the by ensuring 'continuity' of eight years of Ghana enjoys the patriotic pride for being Nkrumahists and Danquah-Busiaists John Kufour's legacy for the ruling NPP the first black African Nation to gain traditions. Since the transformation from candidate, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Adda independence, as well as an inspirational the military to democratic dispensation of and advocates of 'change' led by the John role model to other African states for John Jerry Rawlings from Provisional Atta Mills of the NDC (main opposition) and pioneering the hopes and aspirations of the National Defence Council (PNDC) to a Paa Kwesi Ndoum of the CPP and Edward Pan-African ideology injected in African National Democratic Congress (NDC) in Mahama of the PNC. While the scholars and political activists during the 1993, the NDC has continually been consolidationists always have an edge due independence struggle.2 This well meaning troubled for the perceived past human to the power of incumbency, there is always political philosophy born from the Gold rights records of the former president and a tendency that their actions and inactions Coast instilled a spirit of self-determination, its founder, a factor used by rival parties for in the transiting period may also play which then subsequently paved the way for political advantage against the NDC party. against them. On the other hand, the many African nations to move toward self- In the lead up to the December 2008 proponents of the change message also rule. In spite of its enviable contribution to elections, pro NPP newspapers continue to stand a high chance of winning the minds independence and post-independence refer to human rights abuses of the PNDC and hearts of electorate if their message political history of the continent, the era. The NDC response has been to remind comes at an appropriate time depending country's military-civilian democracy and the electorate of the current serving also on the socio-economic context. In the civilian-civilian democratic transition members of the Government who are context of Ghana, these two broad cannot be narrated without citing members of the NPP who served in the categories are central to the ongoing challenges and pitfalls. PNDC revolutionary government. Likewise, campaign irrespective of the fact that the pro-NDC newspapers also refer to parties have all presented manifestoes The history of participatory democratic incidences of human rights abuses under outlining their programmes and luring governance and the contextual factors that the Presidency of John Kuffour of the NPP promises. determine or influence politically motivated Government. Ghana's past political history violence in Ghana is expressive within the is haunting its present. Even after attempts 2.3. Petro-Politics three most influential political traditions at national reconciliation through a Truth The recent announcement of the discovery and their intense competitions for political and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) of oil deposits in commercial quantities that space. These are: the Nkrumahists (CPP), initiated by the Government of the NPP in have put Ghana in the world petroleum the Danquah-Busiaists (NPP), and the which leading Religious figures played map has strong connotations in the Rawlingsists traditions (NDC). Implicitly, active roles, a cursory political observation electoral ball game. The huge petrodollars each tradition is a characteristic of each can highlight the contradictions of a that accrue from the black gold, is leader and the political philosophy they reconciliation effort that has not reconciled undoubtedly influencing the political fanatically believed.
Recommended publications
  • The Regional Balance of Presidential Tickets in Ghanaian Elections: Analysis of the 2008 General Elections
    3 The Regional Balance of Presidential Tickets in Ghanaian Elections: Analysis of the 2008 General Elections Ziblim Iddi Introduction Ghana’s Fourth Republican Constitution prescribed a hybrid of the presidential and parliamentary systems of government to be practiced in a multi-party democracy. This is a clear departure from the country’s previous attempt at constitutional government in the first three republics. The country experimented with the presidential system of government in the first and third republics, and practiced the parliamentary system under the second republic. It is reported that the constitutional experts assembled by the Provisional National Defense Council (PNDC) government to produce a draft constitution for the fourth republic were guided by the lessons learned under the first three republican constitutions. For example, the requirement that the majority of ministers of state shall be appointed from among members of Parliament as prescribed by Article 78 of the 1992 constitution was recommended because of lessons learned under the third republican constitution. The president, under the third republic, failed to get his budget passed by parliament in 1981. This was largely blamed on the fact that no member of parliament was a minister of state under the 1979 constitution. The framers of the 1992 constitution, therefore, recommended hybridization to cure the mischief of members of parliament of the ruling party sabotaging the president’s agenda. Nonetheless, Ghana’s current hybrid system of government could easily pass for a presidential system (Ninsin 2008). 64 Issues in Ghana’s Electoral Politics The institutional arrangement and power dynamics between the executive and the legislature sanctioned by the 1992 constitution has inadvertently created what is gradually becoming an ‘imperial presidency’ in Ghana.
    [Show full text]
  • The State of the Economy: a Foundation of Concrete Or Straw?
    THE STATE OF THE ECONOMY: A FOUNDATION OF CONCRETE OR STRAW? Speech Delivered by: Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia 2016 NPP Vice-Presidential Candidate At the: National Theatre September 8th, 2016 Accra 1 Mr. Chairman, H.E. John Agyekum Kufuor, Former President of the Republic of Ghana Presidential Candidate of the New Patriotic Party, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo Honourable Members of Parliament Chiefs and Traditional Leaders Members of the Diplomatic Corps Representatives of other Political Parties Students Members of the Media Distinguished Invited Guests Fellow Ghanaians Ladies and Gentlemen Good evening! 2 I would like to thank all of you for taking the time out of your busy schedules to attend or listen to this lecture on the current state of our economy. First of all, I would like to assure all Ghanaians that this lecture, as has been the case with all my lectures, will be based on an objective analysis of the data that we have on the economy. Ultimately the data and the facts will speak for themselves. So what does the data say about the state of our economy after eight years of economic management under the NDC, with President John Mahama in charge as head of the economic management team for four years and as President for another four years. RESOURCE INFLOWS Mr. Chairman, any assessment of the state of the economy and the performance of the government must be against the background of the amount of resources at the disposal of the government. At a public lecture in September 2008, then Vice-Presidential candidate John Mahama said: "To whom much is given much is expected." I would like, with his permission, to borrow his exact words to describe his government’s exact performance in the last 8 years.
    [Show full text]
  • Akufo-Addo Delivers 2Nd Annual Aliu Mahama Lecture
    SPEECH BY NANA AKUFO-ADDO, 2016 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE OF THE NEW PATRIOTIC PARTY, AT THE 2ND ALIU MAHAMA MEMORIAL LECTURES AT THE BANQUET HALL, STATE HOUSE, ACCRA, ON 9TH DECEMBER, 2014 ON “ONE GHANA: SECURING OUR FUTURE”. It was with great pleasure, tinged with considerable sadness, that I accepted the invitation from my good friend, Kwasi Abeasi, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Aliu Mahama Foundation, to be the second speaker in the series of the Foundation’s Annual Memorial Lectures. Pleasure, because, having missed last year’s inaugural lecture delivered, according to my information, with panache and verve by Mahamudu Bawumia, I would be able, today, to bear testimony to the distinguished statesman in whose honour the Foundation and these Memorial Lectures have been instituted. Shakespeare’s inimitable language, in the mouth of Mark Anthony, during his celebrated funeral oration for Julius Ceasar, captures it best: “He was my friend, faithful and just to me.” Dependable friend, faithful colleague, just leader – the attributes of Aliu Mahama. The first of his faith in our history to occupy the high office of Vice President of the Republic, his conduct in that office was a credit to all Moslems, and, indeed, to all Ghanaians. Proud Dagomba, he personified the best traits of the Ghanaian character – patriotic, responsible, tolerant. I remember the first speech he made to the gathered ranks of the NPP at our Congress in Ho in 2000, soon after his nomination as running mate to then candidate J.A. Kufuor, with whom he partnered to give the Fourth Republic its best government so far.
    [Show full text]
  • Investing in Africa's Transition
    NORDIC-AFRICAN BUSINESS SUMMIT 2017 INVESTING IN AFRICA’S TRANSITION: HOW, NOT WHY? Dear Participants Akwaaba! Karubuni, Velkommen! On behalf of NABA, our co-hosts Norfund and the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a warm welcome to the 7th Nordic-African Business Summit, the leading Nordic business conference on Africa. A special welcome to H.E. Vice-President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia of Ghana, who will be giving today’s keynote speech. By gathering distinguished speakers, Minister delegations, Ambassadors and guests from the Nordic and African business communities, we hope that this summit will be a unique opportunity to network across industries, make new business connections between countries, and share valuable experiences. Today’s overall theme is “Investing in Africa’s transition: How, not Why?” Africa has seen staggering growth over the last 15 years. It is now the world’s second fastest growing region, with the youngest population. The continent will also hold the world’s largest workforce by 2040. These transitions will require a committed private sector that can help grow food supply, healthcare services, infrastructure/ energy, communication, technology and educational services, among much else. We also want to address the “how” question today. How do you succeed, how do you create good partnership, what are the lessons learnt? NABA will continue to play our part, proud of our role in bridging Norwegian and African business communities. Our core activities are analysis of current landscape, and advocacy for more, better and safer business collaboration between Norway and Africa. We also regularly host events for our 126 member companies, including investor trips, ambassador breakfasts, member luncheons, seminars and On behalf of the NABA team and board workshops, and of course, today’s annual summit.
    [Show full text]
  • Download Date 28/09/2021 19:08:59
    Ghana: From fragility to resilience? Understanding the formation of a new political settlement from a critical political economy perspective Item Type Thesis Authors Ruppel, Julia Franziska Rights <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/ by-nc-nd/3.0/"><img alt="Creative Commons License" style="border-width:0" src="http://i.creativecommons.org/l/by- nc-nd/3.0/88x31.png" /></a><br />The University of Bradford theses are licenced under a <a rel="license" href="http:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/">Creative Commons Licence</a>. Download date 28/09/2021 19:08:59 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10454/15062 University of Bradford eThesis This thesis is hosted in Bradford Scholars – The University of Bradford Open Access repository. Visit the repository for full metadata or to contact the repository team © University of Bradford. This work is licenced for reuse under a Creative Commons Licence. GHANA: FROM FRAGILITY TO RESILIENCE? J.F. RUPPEL PHD 2015 Ghana: From fragility to resilience? Understanding the formation of a new political settlement from a critical political economy perspective Julia Franziska RUPPEL Submitted for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities University of Bradford 2015 GHANA: FROM FRAGILITY TO RESILIENCE? UNDERSTANDING THE FORMATION OF A NEW POLITICAL SETTLEMENT FROM A CRITICAL POLITICAL ECONOMY PERSPECTIVE Julia Franziska RUPPEL ABSTRACT Keywords: Critical political economy; electoral politics; Ghana; political settle- ment; power relations; social change; statebuilding and state formation During the late 1970s Ghana was described as a collapsed and failed state. In contrast, today it is hailed internationally as beacon of democracy and stability in West Africa.
    [Show full text]
  • Structural Adjustment, Economic Welfare and Electoral Behavior in the 1992 Ghanaian Presidential Election
    STRUCTURAL ADJUSTMENT, ECONOMIC WELFARE AND ELECTORAL BEHAVIOR IN THE 1992 GHANAIAN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION MAHAMUDU BAWUMIA B.Sc. (Hons), University of Buckingham, 1987 M.Sc., Development Economics, University of Oxford, 1988 THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY in the Department of ECONOMICS O Mahamudu Bawumia SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY September, 1995 All rights reserved. This work may not be reproduced in whole or in part, by photocopy or other means, without permission of the author. APPROVAL Name: Mahamudu Bawumia Degree: Ph.D. (Economics) Title of Thesis: Structural Adjustment, Economic Welfare and Electoral Behaviou in the 1992 Ghanaian Presidential ~lection Examining Committee: Chair: Dr. Robbie Jones Dr. Mahmood Hasan Khan Senior Supervisor Dr. Peter E. Ke Supervisor . Dr. Zane Spindler Internal Examiner LJE Waynepafziger External Examiner Date Approved: Thursday, September 14,1995 PARTIAL COPYRIGHT LICENSE I hereby grant to Simon Fraser University the right to lend my thesis, project or extended essay (the title of which is shown below) to users of the Simon Fraser University Library, and to make partial or single copies only for such users or in response to a request from the library of any other university, or other educational institution, on its own behalf or for one of its users. I further agree that permission for multiple copying of this work for scholarly purposes may be granted by me or the Dean of Graduate Studies. It is understood that copying or publication of this work for financial gain shall not be allowed without my written permission. Title of Thesis: Structural Adjustment, Economic Welfare and Electoral Behaviour in 19% Ghanaian Presidential Elect ion Author: (signature) Mahamudu Bawumia Thursday, September 14,1995 Abstract In this thesis, we evaluate the impact of Ghana's Structural Adjustment Program (SAP) on the welfare of various groups in society, including rural and urban households, producers of exportables, and food producers using a micro-macro approach.
    [Show full text]
  • Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada Page 1 of 3
    Responses to Information Requests - Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada Page 1 of 3 Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada Home > Research Program > Responses to Information Requests Responses to Information Requests Responses to Information Requests (RIR) respond to focused Requests for Information that are submitted to the Research Directorate in the course of the refugee protection determination process. The database contains a seven-year archive of English and French RIRs. Earlier RIRs may be found on the UNHCR's Refworld website. Please note that some RIRs have attachments which are not electronically accessible. To obtain a PDF copy of an RIR attachment please email [email protected]. 5 December 2013 GHA104685.E Ghana: New Patriotic Party (NPP), including origin, structure, leadership and membership; treatment of NPP members by authorities (2011-November 2013) Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Ottawa 1. Overview Sources report that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) was founded in 1992 (Europa 2013a; PHW 2012, 543; NPP n.d.a). The NPP is reportedly the main opposition party in Ghana (Reuters 9 Apr. 2013; Deutsche Welle 30 Nov. 2012; Daily Trust 14 Jan. 2013). On its website, the NPP describes itself as a "liberal democratic party" that champions "multi-party democracy" (n.d.a). The NPP's aims and objectives reportedly include: • protecting human rights and rule of law; • building a "free and democratic system of government" • reducing "excessive centralization" in the government • promoting a "vibrant, free-market economy" • improving climate for private enterprise by decreasing bureaucratic restrictions. (NPP n.d.c) Similarly, the 2012 Political Handbook of the World (PHW) reports that the NPP's platform advocates for human rights, strengthening democracy, and holding free and fair elections (2012, 543).
    [Show full text]
  • An Ethnographic Study of Ghana Dagbon Chieftaincy Crisis-2002-2019
    Bangor University DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Propaganda Censorship and the Media: An Ethnographic Study of Ghana Dagbon Chieftaincy Crisis-2002-2019 Mahama, Seth Sayibu Award date: 2020 Awarding institution: Bangor University Link to publication General rights Copyright and moral rights for the publications made accessible in the public portal are retained by the authors and/or other copyright owners and it is a condition of accessing publications that users recognise and abide by the legal requirements associated with these rights. • Users may download and print one copy of any publication from the public portal for the purpose of private study or research. • You may not further distribute the material or use it for any profit-making activity or commercial gain • You may freely distribute the URL identifying the publication in the public portal ? Take down policy If you believe that this document breaches copyright please contact us providing details, and we will remove access to the work immediately and investigate your claim. Download date: 04. Oct. 2021 PHD DISSERTATION TOPIC Propaganda, Censorship and the Media: An Ethnographic Study of Ghana Dagbon Chieftaincy Crisis, 2002-2019 Mahama Seth Sayibu This dissertation is submitted in partial fulfilment for the award of a degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) Journalism Studies, at the School of Creative Studies and Media, Bangor University, Wales, United Kingdom. August 2019 Page 1 of 286 DECLARATION This thesis is being submitted with the consent of my supervisor and I declare that it is the results of my own investigations, except where otherwise stated. All other sources are acknowledged by bibiographic references.
    [Show full text]
  • Democracy Watch 6 & 7
    Democracy Watch Vol. 2, No. 2&3 April-September 2001 1 A Quarterly Newsletter of the Ghana Center for Democratic Development 6&7 DemocracyWatch 123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789 123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789 123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789 123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789 statements. The openness to the media Volume 2, No. 2&3 123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789 123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789 123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789 123456789012345678901234567890121234567890123456789 was underscored by President Kufuors April-September 2001 The Media in the news conference to mark his first 100 Post Rawlings Era days in office, an event never witnessed ISSN: 0855-417X during the 19 years ex-President Rawlings was in power. A new era of positive government- In this issue media relations? In an early gesture of acknowledging the contribution of the media to Ghanaian Among the media, media watchers, democratic development, the NPP and observers of Ghanaian politics, government decided to abort ongoing EThe Media in the Post Rawlings Era there is a well-justified feeling of relief state prosecutions against journalists for .................Page 1 and euphoria over the demise of a criminal and or seditious libel. Most media unfriendly-regime. Indeed, it significantly, it has made good on its promise to repeal the obnoxious criminal E The New Challenges in Intra-media was expected that the relationship Relations .............
    [Show full text]
  • Electioneering Activities and Their Impact on the Ghana Stock Exchange
    Journal of Economic and Financial Sciences ISSN: (Online) 2312-2803, (Print) 1995-7076 Page 1 of 8 Original Research Electioneering activities and their impact on the Ghana Stock Exchange Authors: Orientation: Literature is scanty on the euphoria around Ghana’s electioneering activities and 1 Akyene Tetteh their impact on economic activities. Jeron K. Arthur2 Research purpose: This article studies electioneering activities and their impact on the Ghana Affiliations: 1Department of Management Stock Exchange (GSE) returns. Studies, University of Mines Motivation for the study: Literature have established that political risk is statistically and Technology, Tarkwa, Ghana significant in emerging stock markets and from 5 January to 7 December 2016, the GSE lost 23.47% of its trading values. Hence, this article finds it imperative to examine whether 2Department of electioneering activities indeed have an impact on GSE. Mathematical Sciences, University of Mines and Research approach/design and method: Using daily data span from 5 January 2016 to Technology, Tarkwa, Ghana 7 December, 2016. The autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) bound test approach to cointegration and Granger causality test was used to examine the data. Corresponding author: Akyene Tetteh, Main findings: The result suggests that electioneering activity impact negatively on the GSE [email protected] returns both in the short-run and long-run, but its cause is not clear. It impacts creates arbitrage Dates: opportunities for investors and may punish the political party in power. Received: 23 Jan. 2019 Accepted: 03 June 2020 Practical/managerial implications: Political parties in power should recognize that Published: 20 Aug. 2020 electioneering activities creates a dilemma between regaining power or managing the economy.
    [Show full text]
  • GHANA ELECTION 2008 © 2010 Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, Ghana
    GHANA ELECTION 2008 © 2010 Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, Ghana All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the permission of the publishers. Any person who does any unauthorised act in relation to this book will be liable to criminal prosecution and claims for damages. contents page acronyms i acknowledgement ii foreword iii Chapter One: The Electoral System of Ghana 1 Chapter Two: Confidence Building Measures for the 2008 General Elections 9 Chapter Three: Preparations for Election 2008 23 Chapter Four: The Media and Election 2008 50 list of tables and figures page Table 1 Elections Observation Missions 13 for the 2008Elecctions Table 3.1 Vital Statistics on Registration for the Period 2004 - 2008 National Summary 26 Table 3.2 Vital Statistics on the 2008 Limited Voter Registration: 29 Age and Gender Distribution Table 3.3 Comparative Statistics on Voter Registration 31 Challenges between 1995 - 2008 Table 3.4 2008 Exhibition of Voters Register: 33 Age and Gender Distribution 35 Table 3.5 Presidential Candidates for 2008 Elections 35 Table 3.6 Running Mates for the 2008 Elections Table 3.7 Nomination of Parliamentary Candidates of Political Parties for the 2008 Elections 37 Table 3.8 Voter Turnout and Rejected Ballots for the 47 December 7, 2008 Elections Table 3.9 Voter Turnout and Rejected Ballots for 47 December 28, 2008 Presidential Run off acronyms COG Commonwealth Observer Group
    [Show full text]
  • 2018 Annual Report
    2018 ANNUAL REPORT BUILDING LASTING PROSPERITY FOR AMERICANS AND AFRICANS THROUGH JOB CREATION AND ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY . 1 2018 SPOTLIGHT . 2 PRESIDENT’S ADVISORY COUNCIL ON DOING BUSINESS IN AFRICA (PAC-DBIA) . 2 UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY MEETINGS . 2 REGIONAL PROGRAMS . 4 WEST AND CENTRAL AFRICA . 4 NORTH AFRICA . 8 EAST AND SOUTHERN AFRICA . 10 TASK FORCE UPDATES . 14 INFRASTRUCTURE, ENERGY SOLUTIONS AND MINING . 14 LIFE SCIENCES AND WELLNESS . 15 DIGITAL ECONOMY . 16 RETAIL, SUPPLY CHAIN AND TRADE FACILITATION . 17 2019 CALENDAR . 18 U.S.-AFRICA BUSINESS CENTER | 2018 ANNUAL REPORT | 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Since the U.S.-Africa Business Center (PAC-DBIA’s) fact-finding trip to Ethiopia, (USAfBC) was established, it has been Kenya, Côte d’Ivoire, and Ghana. The center recognized as the leading advocacy group also endeavored to build a focused and strategic fostering U.S.-Africa business relations in body of work around North Africa, and it began Washington, D.C., and across the continent. to fortify important relationships with stakeholders As a cogent Africa policy was yet to be defined by in Morocco and Algeria. the U.S. government in 2018, the USAfBC aimed to fill the void by promoting private sector leadership. While the USAfBC made commendable strides in Members relied on the center to help navigate 2018, challenges persist in U.S.-Africa relations. The changing political environments in various markets widespread notion in Africa that the U.S. government and elevate U.S. business priorities across the is taking a backseat on its engagement with the continent. The USAfBC continues to be vocal about continent in an era of increased Chinese and other the immense benefits associated with working with competitors’ economic activity in the region offers an American businesses as a partner of choice.
    [Show full text]