CDD-West Africa Calls for Peaceful and Robust Participation in Ghana’s 2024 Elections
Press Statement
6 December, 2024
CDD-West Africa Calls for Peaceful and Robust Participation in Ghana’s 2024 Elections
As Ghanaians head to the polls on Saturday, 7 December 2024 for their country’s ninth consecutive elections since the return to constitutional rule in 1992, the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD-West Africa) urges them to embrace this crucial opportunity to shape the future of their country.
CDD-West Africa will be deploying a study mission to observe the elections and support with any subsequent election advocacy and efforts to elevate electoral processes across the region. This intervention is partly supported by the EPSG Project, co-funded by the European Union and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), and implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).
With 13 aspirants, including candidates from nine political parties and four independents, vying for the presidency and 276 parliamentary seats of the country, the elections mark another significant milestone in Ghana’s democratic journey. Amidst tomorrow’s election, 18,772,221 registered voters are expected to cast their ballots in 40,975 polling units, a significant increase from 17,027,941 in 2020.
The elections also share particular significance in the light of lingering tensions from the 2020 elections, when the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) rejected the results and opted to pursue a legal challenge, accusing the country’s Electoral Commission (EC) of partisanship and operating as an extension of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP). These allegations, alongside fears of mismanagement and misconduct during that period, have contributed to a growing erosion of trust in the EC. While a vast majority of Ghanaians support elections as the best way to choose their leaders and the 2020 as mostly positive, citizens trust/confidence in Ghana’s Electoral Commission(EC) is 28% - an over two decade record low. Adding to this complexity is Ghana’s ongoing economic fragility, tied to growing inflation, mounting public debt; youth unemployment, social protests associated with galamsey (illegal mining) all of which have created a challenging backdrop, resulting in widespread public dissatisfaction with the government.
Against the background of the above, the stakes are high. CDD-West Africa therefore calls on all voters to weigh the high stakes, as they actively participate in tomorrow's electoral process. It is our hope that by casting their votes, Ghanaians can push back against the perception of democratic backsliding in the region and affirm their commitment to representative governance. The elections offer an ample opportunity for the electorate to demand accountable leadership and chose candidates that truly reflect their aspirations - willing to tackle the country's sundry economic challenges, and as well as setting the foundation for generational change.
We also appeal to political parties, candidates, and their supporters to maintain peace and uphold those sterling democratic principles of free, fair, and transparent electoral process that are vital to preserving Ghana’s standing as one of the strongest models of democracy in West Africa.
The price of liberty is eternal vigilance. As we commend the Electoral Commission and other stakeholders for their robust preparations for tomorrow’s elections, CDD-West Africa stresses the need for vigilance and accountability, believing that the credibility and integrity of the processes will depend largely on the collective will and commitment by all actors.
We wish Ghanaians a successful outing.
Dauda Garuba, PhD.
Director,
Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD-West Africa)