What to expect after the Ghana elections on December 7
I made a promise to my friends on Facebook to write about my predictions of what are likely to happen after the elections are over. These predictions are nothing new. They happen in Ghana after every election.
I am keeping this promise, and here are my thoughts and the things that you should expect to hear or read about.
Some of the things you would hear would be exaggerated, some would be closer to the truth, some would be outright lies, the figment of some people’s imaginations and some deluded individuals would also have their fair share of the cake of happenings after the elections – but most certainly, these things I hereby predict, would happen. But as they do, remember this – I am not a soothsayer, and in answer to my dear friend Nii Ayertey Aryeh’s question, I did not use a crystal ball.
Election times in Ghana are interesting times, often filled with excitement and tense anticipations.
To some people, it appears to be the only time for real hope. Hope that their preferred candidates or political parties would win power and change their fortunes.
Considering the fact that even though poverty has been cut to half in Ghana, it is still endemic in the country, just like most parts of the world, and the only way most people know to get out of poverty is through politics. There is overwhelming evidence to this fact – mostly unknown individuals have become millionaires overnight through their associations with political parties that became governments after winning elections.
The phenomenon known as ‘job for the boys’ is common. Individuals known to be incompetent are appointed into very important and sometimes lucrative jobs, as a reward for their loyalty to the party in power or as a reward for some contribution to the party’s win or depending on which influential party stalwart one knows.
As a matter of fact, this election won’t be any different from all the other five since the country ushered in the 1992 constitution. After December 7, these things would happen.
My predictions
I predict that there will be winners and losers. That of course you know.
Long before the day ends Friday December 7, 2012, there will be claims and counter claims of having won the elections by two specific political parties. They would not wait for the Electoral Commission to announce the final results.
They have already appointed their ‘electoral specialists’ who are on standby to specifically monitor and announce what in their views are the true results.
Sadly, members of these two political parties are so sure of winning in the first round that none of them is psychologically prepared for any likely possibility of losing. They will start trading accusations and counter accusations of rigging even before the ballot is over.
None of these parties believe that they could lose a fairly contested elections and they will have their own ‘evidences’ to prove the allegations of vote rigging even before the results are officially declared.
If anyone listened to executives of these two parties during their last political rallies Wednesday evening they were telling their supporters that the election is a done deal – they invariably are saying we have won already!
None of these parties has given any indications that its fate is in the hands of voters! They believe in themselves – they are so sure of victory.
We shall hear threats of court actions over results of some parliamentary ballots, and some will actually go to court to challenge the results – and these court actions might go on for four years, by which time the winner being challenged would have served the full term in Parliament, collect the financial benefits and go smiling all the way to the bank, returning to contest another election.
There will be jubilation by some and there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Some contestants will be so shell shocked that they are likely to fall into unconsciousness and be rushed to the hospital.
People on the winning side will tease their losing opponents – they will rub it in till it bleeds.
We shall hear of and witness some skirmishes but there won’t be any major conflict arising out of the elections.
I also predict that most of the pollsters who have recently arrived in town, will vanish into thin air after the elections as their ridiculously cooked up polls won’t materialize, leaving only Ben Ephson to show his face around because his polls have been proven in the past.
As for who wins the presidential slot, I predict that Ghanaians will decide the winner and still make Ghana the beacon of democracy in Africa.
By Emmanuel K. Dogbevi
Email: [email protected]
I no that nana ado will win the president
As promised on facebook Emmanuel I shall comment on your post which is a picture we have like you said seen time and time again, so will not dwell on the losers winners and weepers, for they are professionals who are well use to the parts they play in that dance.
I would however like to reiterate the point you make in your first few paragraphs, quote “To some people, it appears to be the only time for real hope. Hope that their preferred candidates or political parties would win power and change their fortunes.”
That more than anything is the real looser in the politics we practice in Ghana , for indeed as the people by whom I mean those who do not play the city game and are becoming aware of the global changes happening , whose only wish is those that would lead them would indeed be looking out for their interests and pull them up in a small enough but easily defined direction way that they no longer just hope but inspire themselves and those around them to join in this forwards movement.
All is not doom and gloom, and this election will either finally put to sleep that popularity vote based on jingoism’s which has held us back for so long and show there is an awakening to the fact change must be managed not wished up by schemes which have no credibility, or once again we must wait for that awakening, I would wish the former.
On the nonsense as mentioned with regard “experts” we can but sit back and watch the folly , and hope it does not spill bad blood, for peace more than anything is what will show our maturity.
Everywhere in the world ,whether in the west or east, developed or underdeveloped (developing) …you can’t get a perfect process ;in election or anything of public interest. But Ghana has to celebrate what it has achieved in the election process in particular and democracy in general. There is a saying in Ethiopia ,and I guess there would be a synonym to it in Ghana as well(as we are rich in terms of expressing ourselves through sayings and proverbs), ” A kid whose mother goes to the market and a kid who lost his mother equally cry.” For you Ghanians, your mother just went to the market. She still survives. I guess you shouldn’t cry like to other countries in Africa.Your move towards democracy also survives and it is up to you to preserve it ,look after it… And , it is high time for other African countries to follow suit and learn from your best practice shining out from the western corner of the continent; Ghana.
Good Luck to you who is voting and to the parties contesting.
God Bless Ghana !!! God Bless Africa !!!