Ghana Votes In Tight Presidential Election Race
As voters head to the polls, they’ll be choosing a new president to succeed Nana Akufo-Addo, who’s stepping down after serving two terms.
Ghana is in the midst of a general election, with the economy taking a center stage, following a debt default, soaring inflation, and negotiations for a $3 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout.
As voters head to the polls, they’ll be choosing a new president to succeed Nana Akufo-Addo, who’s stepping down after serving two terms.
The election, which started at 0700 GMT and will close at 1700 GMT on Saturday, will also determine the country’s new parliament.
Early results are expected on Sunday, with the full presidential election results anticipated by Tuesday.
This election is crucial for Ghana, as the country struggles to recover from its economic woes. The new president will face the daunting task of reviving the economy and restoring stability.
With several candidates vying for the top spot, including Mahamudu Bawumia of the New Patriotic Party and John Mahama of the National Democratic Congress, the outcome is far from certain.
“We want to vote for change, the economic situation is very hard,” AFP quoted a retired policeman James Nsiah as said, while waiting to cast his ballot at a booth in the capital Accra. “The cost of living is high.”
Ghana’s government temporarily closed all land borders on Friday night through Sunday to “ensure the integrity” of the vote, an interior ministry statement said.
With a history of political stability, Ghana’s two main parties, current ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) and National Democratic Congress (NDC), have alternated in power almost equally since 1992.
Touting a slogan “Break the 8” — a reference to the usual two, four-year terms in power — the NPP hopes Bawumia can lead them to an unprecedented third term in office. But he has struggled to break away from criticism of Akufo-Addo’s economic record.
“I know what I want to do from day one in the presidency. Give me the chance to transform this nation,” Bawumia told thousands of supporters at a closing rally in Accra.
A UK-educated economist, he points to an economy turning a corner and the government’s continued plans for digitalisation to ease business as well as free education and health programmes.
According to AFP, inflation slowed from more than 50 percent to around 23 percent, and other macro-economic indicators are stabilising. But many Ghanaians still say they struggle with costs of living and scarce jobs and a depreciated cedi currency.
Frustration over the economy has opened the way for a challenge from opposition candidate Mahama, who was president from 2012 to 2017 and who has since failed twice in presidential bids.
The NDC flag-bearer says he will “reset” Ghana and introduce a “24-hour economy”, extending industrial hours to create jobs and more production and also renegotiate parts of the IMF deal.
Some analysts gave him an edge because of voter dismay with NPP economics, but the former president faced criticism from those who remember government financial woes and massive power cuts during his time in office.
Both major candidates are from the north of the country, traditionally a NDC stronghold, but now more fragmented, making the region a key battleground.
While the economy was key, Ghana also faces an increasing risk of spillover in its northern regions from jihadist conflicts in Niger and Burkina Faso, where military juntas rule after coups.
The spread of illegal gold mining also became an election issue. Akufo-Addo promised to stop illegal mining, but it has expanded, poisoning riverways and impacting cacao farmlands — a major source of export income.
