IT IS … days to election 2012. The anxiety of Ghanaians increase by the day, as the election approaches. Every day, the airwaves are filled with political discussions in both English and local languages. There are also individual discussions among various groups of people on different subjects of politics. The stakes in this year’s elections are very high because of the players involved. There are eight presidential candidates in the upcoming December 2012 elections, but the popular view is that there are two major contenders. They are President John Dramani Mahama of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo Addo of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
Accordingly, most of the intense debates are between officials of these two parties and their supporters on the various platforms. Often, personalities are discussed instead of the critical issues, and the language used also leaves much to be desired.
It appears that the ruling NDC wants to do everything possible to retain power, whereas the opposition NPP, that handed power to the NDC in 2008, also wants to take back power from the incumbent NDC.
Both parties seem to be on a fault finding mission about the other, and all these have increased tension in the country, ahead of the elections.
Since returning to constitutional rule in 1992, Ghana has held five successful elections, however, it has not been without some infractions and incidents of violence. This year, during the parliamentary primaries of some political parties, violence erupted in some areas.
Ghana has been host to thousands of refugees from the sub-region over the years. We have also seen to a large extent the hostilities and destruction that election violence can wrought on otherwise peaceful and developing nations.
Full Article: allAfrica.com: Ghana: Election 2012 – Ballots or Bullets? (Page 1 of 4).