\n
By Edward Acquah<\/p>\n
Accra, Dec. 6, GNA \u2013 The stage is set for Ghana\u2019s crucial nationwide presidential and parliamentary elections, scheduled for today, Saturday, December 7, 2024.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A total of 18,774,159 valid voters are expected to cast their ballots at more than 40,000 polling stations across the country to elect a President and 276 Members of Parliament.\u00a0<\/p>\n
To win the presidency, a candidate must secure at least 50 percent plus one of the total valid votes casts.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
In the parliamentary race, a candidate needs to secure a simple majority of the valid votes to emerge victorious.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Twelve presidential candidates are vying for the nation\u2019s top office after months of campaigning across the country to share their messages and policies with voters.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Initially, there were 13 candidates on the presidential ballot, but following the passing of Madam Akua Donkor, the Ghana Freedom Party\u2019s presidential aspirant, on October 28, 2024\u2014just as the printing of ballots was nearing completion\u2014the Electoral Commission decided to maintain the positions on the ballot, with any votes cast for Madam Akua Donkor being counted as rejected.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ghana boasts a strong tradition of peaceful elections and smooth transitions of power between ruling and opposition parties.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Since 1992, the country has held eight elections, including three instances where power was transferred from a ruling party to the opposition.\u00a0<\/p>\n
As Ghana prepares for this critical election, the country\u2019s vibrant democracy faces yet another significant test.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Keen Contest Ahead\u00a0<\/h5>\n
Since Ghana\u2019s return to multi-party democracy in 1992, no political party has held power for more than two terms (eight years), a trend commonly referred to as the \u201ctwo-term jinx.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
The New Patriotic Party (NPP), which has been in power since 2016, is now aiming to break this pattern.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Analysts are predicting a keenly contested race between Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the NPP\u2019s flagbearer, and former President John Dramani Mahama, the flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).\u00a0<\/p>\n
Former President Mahama is seeking redemption after losing the 2016 and 2020 elections to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, whose second term will end on January 7, 2025.\u00a0<\/p>\n
For nearly 30 years, Ghana\u2019s political scene has been dominated by the back-and-forth power exchange between the NPP and NDC, with no other party able to break this two-party dominance.\u00a0<\/p>\n
However, this election sees the rise of two new contenders: The New Force, led by businessman Nana Kwame Bediako, and The Movement for Change, headed by Alan Kyerematen, the former Minister for Trade and Industry in the current administration.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Both parties are looking to challenge the entrenched two-party system and provide voters with an alternative.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Other presidential candidates include Daniel Augustus Lartey Jnr. (Great Consolidated Popular Party), George Twum-Barima-Adu (Independent), Hassan Abdulai Ayariga (All People\u2019s Congress), Kofi Akpaloo (Liberal Party of Ghana), Mohammed Frimpong (National Democratic Party), Nana Akosua Frimpomaa (Convention People\u2019s Party), and Kofi Koranteng (Independent).\u00a0<\/p>\n
2020 Elections Recap\u00a0<\/h5>\n
In the 2020 elections, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo won 6,730,413 votes, representing 51.59 per cent of the valid votes cast, defeating John Mahama, who received 6,214,889 votes (47.36 per cent).\u00a0<\/p>\n
Both the NPP and NDC secured 137 seats each in Parliament, leading to a tie.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
The situation was broken by independent candidate Andrew Asiamah Amoako, who won the Fomena seat and later aligned with the NPP, giving them the majority in Parliament.\u00a0<\/p>\n
EC\u2019s Preparedness for the 2024 Elections\u00a0<\/h5>\n
The Electoral Commission (EC) has completed the deployment of election materials to all 16 regions, with preparations underway for the final distribution to polling stations on Election Day.\u00a0<\/p>\n
At a press conference in Accra on Thursday, EC Chairperson Mrs. Jean Mensa noted that as of 1730 hours on Thursday, ballot papers for the Western and Eastern regions had not yet been deployed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
To ensure smooth execution, the EC has recruited nearly 210,000 electoral officers to supervise the elections across more than 40,000 polling stations nationwide.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In preparation for the polls, the EC conducted two successful Special Voting exercises on December 2 and December 5, 2024, allowing eligible voters involved in election-related duties\u2014including election officials, security personnel, and media practitioners\u2014to vote early.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Parties Commit to Peace\u00a0<\/h5>\n
In a show of unity, all 12 presidential aspirants signed the Presidential Peace Pact last week, pledging to advocate for and maintain peace during and after the elections.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The National Elections Security Taskforce also met with political parties on Tuesday to discuss security arrangements ahead of the polls.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Dr. George Akuffo Dampare, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), issued a stern warning against the use of unauthorized security outfits, stressing the importance of maintaining law and order during the elections.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Final Rallies\u00a0<\/h5>\n
As per Ghana\u2019s electoral law, political campaigning is prohibited a day before Election Day.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Consequently, political parties held their final rallies on Thursday to rally support for their candidates and conclude months of campaigning.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The NDC\u2019s final rally, themed \u201cResetting Ghana \u2013 Let\u2019s Finish Strong\u201d, took place at Zurak Park in Madina, while the NPP hosted its \u201cPossibilities Victory Rally\u201d at the UG Sports Directorate Park, opposite the University of Ghana Sports Stadium.\u00a0<\/p>\n
GNA<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
By Edward Acquah Accra, Dec. 6, GNA \u2013 The stage is set for Ghana\u2019s crucial nationwide presidential and parliamentary elections, scheduled for today, Saturday, December 7, 2024.\u00a0 A total of 18,774,159 valid voters are expected to cast their ballots at more than 40,000 polling stations across the country to elect a President and 276 Members […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":52765,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-261876","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-top-news"],"yoast_head":"\n
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