DEMOCRATIC ELECTIONS IN GHANA

This was a special political edition of my newsletters. If you don't receive them and wish to, email me at nickjimenez8@gmail.com.

It’s been a bit of a privilege being in Ghana during the election year. Today the 3^rd president of Ghana was sworn into office. After 8 months of competitive campaigning, Ghana has peacefully transitioned into a new party in office, and Ghanaians are excited for change. The New Patriotic Party (NPP) had been in power for the last eight years, while the New Democratic Congress (NDC) is the leading opponent and has now won the 2008, presidential elections.

As I arrived in Ghana, billboards and posters were going up for the 2008 election campaign. Only a few months later, flag bearers and presidential candidates commenced campaigning across the country. Every time there is a rally in town, you know by 9:00am in the morning. Party supporters will remove the mufflers from their motorcycles and be ceaselessly driving up and down the main streets. The goal of this activity is to make as much noise as possible. Motorcycles equipped with party flags, dressed up in party colors and sometimes even dragging cans will buzz through town like a frenzy of bees swarming honeycomb. Anyone without a motorcycle will surely be wearing a party T-shirt and be blowing whistles or chanting through the streets.

The first political rally I went to was for the ruling party, the NPP, right in Saboba itself. That day it was busier than Christmas, as party supporters were driving around on motorcycles throughout town. Traditional cultural dancers were paid to put on a spectacle, as a good portion of the population waited anxiously in the town’s main soccer field. In the afternoon the convoy of 9-12 SUVs and trucks sped into town holding the flag bearer and other important political figures. After a very motivational speech promising free education, roads, and well . . . pretty much everything else that can be considered development; the convoy was off in a cloud of dust, leaving only an riled up crowd.

Most rallies I try to avoid. Apart from the fact that I am a civil servant, and not supposed to be seen supporting either party, it is also in my opinion, dangerous. Often those riding motorcycles do so recklessly to attract more attention and create more of a scene. Getting to the later part of the afternoon, many become more under the influence of alcohol, only heightening the tension. Most of my co-workers and friends just try to avoid town when political rallies happen, and political leaders will even plead with party supporters to be safe and keep the peace.

As the year drew to a close and the elections grew nearer, both parties began campaigning more aggressively. For the ruling party, holes were being dug in the ground for electricity poles, school sites were being laid out, and communities were given small gifts. It was impossible to notice the difference in campaigning budgets, as the ruling party would have almost all billboards covered in party propaganda, majority coverage over the local television stations; and their distribution of party T-shirts could only be compared in magnitude with the distribution of candy on Halloween.

In Saboba, our Member of Parliament (MP) has largely been criticized for his inaction in office. Getting close to the elections, communities were given anything from T-shirts to grinding mills (a large diesel engine used to grind corn and other crops into flour). Chiefs and opinion leaders were receiving motorcycles and in some cases cash, in order to sway the votes of their communities in favour of the ruling party, and specifically the MP.

Sitting inside a farmers hut eating TZ (local dish), I noticed some bran new soccer jerseys and leather balls, still inside their packaging. I couldn’t restrain myself from asking where they had stumbled upon such items. “Charles, [Saboba MP], gave them to us” he replied with a smile.

This is done because in some areas where literacy is lower, communities will still vote as a whole. A chief or community leader will dictate the way an entire community votes. With uneducated populations, who are often financially poor, monetary gifts can be quite influential in shaping one’s opinion. In this case, it is easy to convince, or bribe, the local opinion leader.

After campaign rallies, televised debates, an ALL-NIGHT PARTY, and other campaigning tactics, the election-day closed in on Ghana. Leading up to December 7^th, peaceful elections were the mantra of the day, and precautions were put in place to ensure peace. Even in small-town Saboba, military personnel were dispatched the night before to create a presence and maintain the peace.

Finally the big day arrived, and most people were quick to go and vote and then return to their homes. At the polling stations it was nothing but calm line ups and quiet voting as citizens took to the ballot boxes. One thing I loved about the elections was the amount of people out to vote. Anybody and everybody who was of age was out to vote, and had the black index finger to show for it later in the day (in Ghana they thumbprint ballots, and mark the index finger with ink so you can’t vote again). Prior to the elections, people waited in anticipation for December 7^th, because this was their chance to have a say in the direction of their country. Children not of age also knew the different parties and candidates and could tell you part ant parcel their manifestos.

It made me reflect on Canadian society and wonder why in Canada we don’t take elections as seriously. Maybe it is because we are democratically older, and thus the importance of a citizen’s vote has faded among our young adults. The attitude in Ghana is a polar opposite to that of many Canadians, as for Ghanaians, December 7^th was a day to look forward to. People would rise at 4:00am to queue at the polling station before it opened at 6:00am.

As the day continued on, I was surprised at the transparency of the entire elections. Though I have no idea, and thus no basis for comparison, of the way in which Canada counts their votes; Ghana’s system was quite interesting. After the last person had voted, anyone is allowed to just sit in the open area in which the voting ballot stands. From there, the box is opened, and aloud each ballot is read to the crowd and marked down by several recorders.

After the polling stations finish their counting, the ballot boxes and results are shipped over to the District Assembly for collation. When I arrived at the Assembly by 8:00pm, the scene was breathtaking. Crowds of people were outside, chanting and laughing as the results of all polling stations were being collated. Inside the District Assembly, anyone was welcome to observe the collation, as at least 8 members of the Electoral Commission were gathered around a table recording results as one person read them aloud.

Meanwhile in town, anybody who had a television set would play it loud for all those without to come and watch. I parked myself at a local drinking spot with a Coke, as a crowd formed around this small shop to watch the results come in on television. And if you weren’t in a crowd watching the television, or at District Assembly, then you were in a small mob of people roaming up and down the streets to one of these two locations.

To be continued . . . .

DEMOCRATIC ELECTIONS IN GHANA- PART II- The next morning was a scene to be remembered. Parades of people were marching up and down the street celebrating. For those of you from Vancouver, it was equivalent to a night at the fireworks down on Denman Street. Though the national results were still being collated, the Parliamentary Candidate results had come in. NPP MP Charles Bintin lost, to NDC MP Joseph Nikpe. The citizens of Saboba had voted with their consciences, not with their pockets.

The NDC MP won by a large margin and even in the rural areas. After attempts at bribery, citizens looked at the previous 8 years of government performance and decided that a change was needed. Just six months before the elections, Charles had gone to a community and told them to start collecting sand and rocks, to clear a site for a school; for he was going to build them one. After, 4 months of not seeing him, the opponent came to their village and simply told them to look at the heaps of sand that they had collected in anticipation, instead of going to farm. Let them judge Charles on those grounds.

After finding out from those community members about the soccer jerseys, I couldn’t help but ask who they voted for.

“Joseph of course!” they said in between chuckles and mouthfuls of TZ. “Charles also gave 60 GH¢ [~60CDN] to our village headman”.

“So you took the jerseys and the money, and then you voted for the opposition?” I curiously reaffirmed.

“Yes! We look at it as Charles paying us back for the last 8 years of inactivity!” he replies with a smile. And that was the order of the day. Throughout the district, citizens graciously received gifts of all sorts, wore T-shirts, and then voted for the opposition.

But what was even more entertaining, and borderline mean, was the amount of mockery that happened the morning of the 8^th. What I forgot to mention was that most of the parties have their own slogans and their own hand gestures. Though NDC had won, you would have thought it were an NPP rally had you not heard the results the day before.

All NDC supporters who had been gaily celebrating after their MP won were all wearing NPP T-shirts. They were also chanting the NPP slogan and making the party hand gestures, to mock the loss of the ruling party.

Three days later however, it was announced that neither party had won a majority (50%, plus one vote). This meant that there would be a run-off for the two leading parties, 21 days later. Ghanaians would again go back to the polls.

For many this was not an ideal situation, because it meant voting would occur just 3 days after Christmas. Indeed, the religious holiday had lost a bit of its zeal, as most were preoccupied on the upcoming election.

Alas, after the final run-off election, NDC had been declared the winner. The final results were approximately 50.23% NDC, and 49.77% NPP - very close indeed. Ghana would have itself a new president and ruling party.

I happened to be travelling through Tamale (regional capital) on the day that the results were announced. My previous opinion of a night at the fireworks in Saboba, was dwarfed by the mass exodus of people all throughout Tamale.

Tamale has long been a supporter of NDC, and it couldn’t have showed more on this historical day. Citizens took to the streets in party T-shirts – be it NPP or NDC. Whistles were being blown, drums beaten, pots and pans clanged, calabashes with beads shook, and voices sang loud as people took to the streets.

On this day in Tamale, you were in one of two places. In town small crowds of people formed around sound systems playing loud music, where either dancing or signing ensued. Indeed, these pockets of people resembled and entire sideline of spectators at a major sporting event, chanting and even dancing for their favourite team.

And if you weren’t celebrating in one of these spontaneously formed dance parties, you were in a parade of people gravitating towards one of these nuclei. As if choreographed by a marching band conductor, platoons of people marched down the street, signing, clapping, and making noise in unison.

The heart of downtown was complete gridlock or pedestrian mob. Nothing moved except people on foot. Although for the first time in Ghana, I saw somebody trotting along horseback, painted in NDC colors.

In the heart of downtown were 4 tanks in a row, with army personal armed to the teeth standing on top; to extinguish even the faintest thought of conflict among anybody. At intersections, army personnel were directing traffic in collaboration with the local law enforcement.

Ironically however, out of all the places for conflict to break out, Saboba was the only place in Northern Region. Though conflict is probably an exaggeration, disputes broke out two days after the results were released, because NPP were getting a little tired of the celebration style of the NDC supporters. In town there were some heated arguments, a couple of thrown bikes, and a couple of fights I think . . . but nothing too serious.

Today was the swearing in of the new president, and with that this rollercoaster of a ride is over. The only thing left on the horizon, is to see what positive change this new government can bring. Whether you support NPP or NDC, all eyes will be on Atta Mills (new president) to see what prosperity he can bring to Ghanaians.

Though he said many things in his acceptance speech, one thing stood out for me that I admire, and hope he will stick to.

“I am not a man for NPP or NDC. I am a man for all Ghanaians. I am a man for Ghana!”

- His Excellency, Professor John Evans Atta Mills