Officials of CDD-Ghana presenting the survey report
Ghanaians across the country are split over the direction in which the nation is moving.
This was revealed in the Centre for Democratic Development (CDD) Ghana pre-election survey 2020.
The survey was conducted between September and October 2020.
The results show that 47 percent of Ghanaians believe Ghana is moving in the right direction.
However, 47 percent of Ghanaians also believe that Ghana is moving in the wrong direction, with six percent refusing to comment.
Background
Initiated in 2016, the CDD-Ghana pre-election survey is aimed at picking early warning signals by tracking citizens’ opinion on the overall level of the country’s preparedness for elections; public confidence in the competence, integrity and neutrality of election- relevant state and quasi-state bodies; and voter behaviour, expectations, priorities and potential turn-out.
With funding support from USAID/Ghana, CDD-Ghana conducted a pre-election survey from September 28 to October 16, 2020.
The survey also helps isolate and identify voter concerns regarding election security, physical intimidation, violence, and perceived peacefulness of the political environment.
Analysis of the results of the pre-election survey was undertaken from mid October, 2020.
Bridging research and practice to promote good governance.
Issues
The survey looked at issues such as the President Nana Akufo-Addo’s administration handling of the coronavirus pandemic, the voter registration exercise, filing of nominations by the parliamentary and presidential candidates, 2020 manifesto and campaign related promises, peace and security during election.
In the 2016 pre-election survey, 24 percent of Ghanaians in July of that year believed the country was going in the right direction and by October that same year, 26 percent believed the country was going in the right direction.
Also, in July 2016, the survey found at the time that 70 percent of Ghanaians believed that the country was moving in the wrong direction, and by October the same year, 68% believed that Ghana was moving in the wrong direction.
Meanwhile, the current survey found that national economic and personal living conditions have worsened significantly with covid-19.
“Ghanaians are nonetheless optimistic about short-term economic future,” according to the survey report.