The successful Ghana election of 2008: a convenient myth?

Heinz Jockers, Dirk Kohnert, Paul Nugent

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract / Description of output

Ghana's 2008 election has been hailed by national and international observers as a model for Africa. The perception of success has prevailed despite persistent concerns about all inflated voters' register and electoral fraud perpetrated by the two Major parties, die NPP and NDC, in their strongholds in the Ashanti and Volta Regions respectively. Electoral malpractice in Ghana's virtual two-party system could acquire a decisive importance as a 'third force', representing all even more important factor than the smaller opposition parties. Unfortunate diplomatic and technocratic biases in election monitoring, combined with a reluctance oil the part of the responsible authorities to investigate what appears to be a long history of fraudulent voting, amounts to a dangerous time bomb of unresolved conflict which could detonate in future elections.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)95-115
Number of pages21
JournalJournal of Modern African Studies
Volume48
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Mar 2010

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