Electoral Violence and Democracy in Africa: The Case of Ghana (1992-2012).

Abstract

Elections have widely been acknowledged as the most democratic means of establishing governments. Whilst the conduct of elections has the potential of ending conflicts, it could also plunge a country into chaos. Although the latter has been witnessed in many African countries, Ghana has only but witnessed few skirmishes which have not degenerated into armed conflicts. The study therefore sought to establish why the story of Ghana has been different and how the absence of such has enhanced Ghana’s democratic consolidation The qualitative research approach was adopted for the study. Both primary and secondary data were gathered and used for the analysis. The primary data which was gathered through an in-depth interview guide whilst the secondary data was sourced from existing literature on democracy and elections. The study found out that the different experience of Ghana with regards to electoral fortunes has been occasioned by its trajectory of elections in the fourth republic, and the roles played by key institutions and personalities. The study again established that the current political atmosphere in the country indicates possibility of armed electoral violence insurrection. The study therefore concludes that Ghana’s democracy could be marred by electoral violence and as such the need to forestall the country’s democratic gains. The findings suggest the need for deliberate steps to deal with issues such as vigilantism that could foment armed violence during elections. The findings also add to the existing knowledge on democracy and electoral violence in Ghana and Africa at large. The findings further establish the need for further studies in this area