Ghanaian casting their votes during elections
Thirty-one percent of Ghana’s 15.8 million voters who are classified as floating voters will look at the unemployment situation in the country, high cost of electricity and food, ability to get medical care, perceived corruption, bad roads, power outages, perceived aggressiveness of a political party and general security before deciding which way they would cast their votes.
The latest survey on the upcoming elections conducted by the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) between October 14 and 26, this year, indicates that issues that dominated what they would be expecting from their preferred presidents six months ago before casting their votes on December 7 had not significantly changed, even though 62 percent of Ghanaian voters say they already have their preferred parties that they would be voting for, with most voters seeing security and peace after the elections as paramount to help sustain Ghana’s democracy and guarantee the needed development.
About 85 percent of Ghanaians believe every Ghanaian needs proper security and peace before, during and after the elections, with a significant majority of 78% preferring to have absolutely free and fair elections to seeing their preferred candidates losing.
The recent survey had a sample size much larger than the previous one conducted in July this year, with a sample size of 2,680.
A senior research fellow of CDD-Ghana, Dr Edem Selormey who briefed the media yesterday about the most recent survey and its findings, said the recent limited voter registration exercise, exhibition of the voter register and transfer of voters were characterised by pockets of violence that should give great concern to the security services.
From the research it was realised that the Northern Region is the most susceptible to electoral violence, followed closely by the Brong-Ahafo Region, Upper West, Ashanti, Eastern, Greater Accra, Upper East, Western, Volta and the Central Regions in that order; and therefore urged the police to put in place the necessary measures to nib in the bud such electoral violence, especially during and after the polls.
The senior research fellow further indicated that the research found out that voters were concerned about activities of vigilante groups associated with the two major political parties – National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
Another senior research fellow, Dr Kojo Asante, told the media that security issues in the run-up to the elections are of great concern to Ghanaians and that what happened at Nana Akufo-Addo’s house on Sunday should be an indication, even though Ghanaians are generally peaceful people.
Dr Kojo Asante said majority of the respondents said they have faith in the police to provide security for Ghanaians and professionally discharge their duties before, during and after the elections and therefore, must not disappoint Ghanaians by openly taking sides.
“The police must be very neutral and impartial at this critical time for Ghanaians to go to the polls to choose their president and parliamentarians,” he charged.
By Thomas Fosu Jnr