2024 Elections test of Ghana’s democracy — UN Special Representative

The Special Representative of the United Nations (UN) Secretary- General and Head of the UN Office (UNOWAS) for West Africa and the Sahel, Leonardo Santos Simao, has said this year’s general election will be a serious test of the strength of Ghana’s 30-year-old democratic process.

“This is because the elections are being organised in an environment marked by regional security challenges, misinformation and disinformation that spread quickly on social media, and the erosion of political enthusiasm among the youth,” he explained.

The envoy said socio-economic hardships; rising inflammatory statements and hate speech by some members of the public also contributed to the challenges facing the electoral process.

Mr Simao made the remarks at the opening of a day’s stakeholders forum to promote a peaceful 2024 general election in Ghana, organised by the National Peace Council (NPC) with support from the UN in Ho, last Thursday.

About 80 participants, made up of traditional rulers, representatives of political parties, security agencies, civil society organisations, state institutions, trade unions and the judiciary attended the forum, which was on the theme: ‘Building trust for peaceful elections’.

The forum, which presented the participants with the opportunity to dialogue on critical issues pertaining to the conduct of peaceful elections, is the fourth in the series after those held in Tamale, Kumasi and Cape Coast.

Triggers

Mr Simao said the event testified to the excellent collaboration and enduring partnership between the NPC and the UN in their common desire to seea peaceful election in Ghana.

He cautioned that the spread of hate speech was a possible trigger for the disruption of electoral activities and needed to be addressed with utmost seriousness.

On security, Mr Simao said the issue was now a major concern in West Africa and the Sahel.

“Although an area such as the Volta Region is not considered a high-risk security zone, there is the urgent need to remain vigilant about issues such as socio-economic suffering and toxic campaign rhetoric that can easily spark violence,” he said.

UN Resident Representative

The United Nations Resident Representative, Charles Abani, said Ghana’s journey as a stable democracy reflected decades of dedication and institutional strengthening by stakeholders.

He said since the inception of the Fourth Republic in 1992, Ghana had consistently conducted transparent and credible elections, a legacy supported by deliberate reforms that had enhanced trust in the electoral process.

“The establishment of a permanent independent Electoral Commission (EC), implementing biometric voter registration, and the introduction of secure ballot systems had elevated the quality of electoral administration in Ghana,” Mr Abani added.

The UN Resident Representative said in the countdown to the general election, it was clear the EC and other political actors remained committed to a stable, credible, peaceful and transparent process.

However, he said the low participation of women, youth and persons with disabilities in political roles highlighted ongoing gaps in political inclusivity, which must be actively addressed.

The Volta Regional Chairman of the NPC, Rev. Seth Mawutor, said the forum was a clear indication of the council’s firm stance to fulfill its mandate of facilitating and developing mechanisms for conflict prevention, management and resolution.

The President of the Volta Regional House of Chiefs, Togbe Tepre Hodo IV, who chaired the opening, said peace was an essential commodity which must be cherished and preserved at all times by the people because its absence could spell disaster for the nation.