CODEO calls on election stakeholders to accentuate civic and voter schooling, cease vote-buying, abuse of incumbency and preserve peaceable and issue- based mostly campaigns forward of the December 7 elections

Introduction

CODEO is happy to share this second report from its statement of the pre-election surroundings forward of the December 7, 2024 presidential and parliamentary elections of Ghana. This report, which covers the interval October 26 – November 8, 2024, is a part of CODEO’s complete statement of the up-coming elections. The findings offered listed below are based mostly on weekly statement reviews filed by 97 CODEO Long-Term Observers (LTOs) from 97 constituencies throughout all areas of the nation. A complete of 193 weekly reviews filed by these observers through the reporting interval had been analyzed for this report.

Summary of Findings

• Observed enchancment in voter schooling efforts by the Electoral Commission of
• Continuous domination of the political marketing campaign scene by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
• Differential concentrate on points within the campaigns by the NPP and the
• A usually peaceable political local weather within the noticed
• Instances of incumbency abuse together with using state assets resembling public automobiles and government-owned gear for marketing campaign functions had been

Main Findings

Civic and Voter Education Activities

There has been an enchancment within the ranges of voter schooling actions by the Electoral Commission within the constituencies noticed. From 12% in our maiden report, 26% of weekly reviews filed through the interval by CODEO observers indicated voter schooling actions carried out by the EC within the noticed constituencies. Civic and voter schooling neighborhood conferences had been additionally famous by observers. The most steadily used medium for civic and voter schooling actions had been posters (as famous in 57% of observer reviews for this reporting interval in comparison with 41% within the maiden report); neighborhood radio (famous in 50% of observer reviews in comparison with 42% within the earlier), and common radio (50% in comparison with 39%), adopted by road bulletins (from 27% to 40% of the observer reviews) and peace rallies (from 25% to 32%).

Political Campaigns on the Constituency Level

The NDC and the NPP proceed to be probably the most energetic political events in respect of campaigning actions. During this reporting interval, the NPP engaged in barely extra house-to-house campaigns than the NDC (by 3%). On the opposite hand, the NDC was noticed to have organized much more conferences and celebration marches as a part of their marketing campaign actions than the NPP, as proven in Figure 1 under.

Figure 1: Campaign actions noticed through the reporting interval

With regards to the substantive focus of marketing campaign messages, observer reviews confirmed that the NDC and NPP campaigns centered largely on schooling; unemployment; the economic system; corruption; meals and agriculture; water, well being and sanitation; and crime and safety. The marketing campaign messages of the NPP centered largely on schooling (in response to 88% of observer reviews as in comparison with 77% within the case of the NDC); meals and agriculture (60% towards 47% for the NDC); and water, well being and sanitation (famous by 58% of reviews in comparison with 54% for the NDC). On the opposite hand, the marketing campaign messages of the NDC centered extra on the economic system (as famous in 80% of observer reviews in comparison with 63% within the case of the NPP); unemployment (78% in comparison with 77% for NPP); corruption (62% of reviews in comparison with 25% for the NPP).

There was restricted marketing campaign engagement by political events aside from the NPP and the NDC. The principal points addressed by different political events had been unemployment, corruption, and schooling.

Figure 2: Focus of political events’ marketing campaign messages: Policy points

Observers reported that the NPP, NDC, and a few unbiased candidates offered treats resembling meals and drinks to occasion attendees throughout marketing campaign actions. A complete of 16% of observer reviews cited the NPP for offering treats resembling foods and drinks to occasion attendees, whereas 12% of the reviews indicated related practices by the NDC. About 2% of observer reviews cited unbiased candidates for offering treats.

About 30% of observer reviews famous situations the place attendees to marketing campaign occasions had been supplied with free transportation. The NPP was cited in 53% of such reviews, adopted by the NDC. However, within the situations the place observers reported such circumstances, the NPP was concerned in 52% of them, whereas the NDC was cited in 40%. Independent candidates and different political events had been cited for such practices in 6% and a pair of% of reviews respectively.

Observers additionally famous situations of vote-buying, with 10% of reviews acquired inside the interval indicating so. This concerned individuals being given cash or valuables to affect their vote. These incidents had been noticed in some constituencies within the Ashanti, Savannah and Western areas.

Abuse of Incumbency

Observers famous situations of potential abuse of incumbency by incumbent candidates or appointees of the federal government. About 11% of observer reviews famous using public (state or native) automobiles for campaigning on behalf of an incumbent candidate. For occasion, within the Tatale-Sanguli constituency within the Northern Region, the NPP Parliamentary candidates’ flyers had been used to model the government-led District Road Improvement Program (DRIP), which noticed the distribution of earth-moving gear to MMDAs for street enchancment. The marketing campaign flyers of the Tatale Sanguli Member of Parliament and parliamentary candidate for the constituency had been seen on the DRIP Program gear (bulldozer), which was getting used to keep up and increase roads within the Sagban neighborhood.

Election Security

The political environment stays usually peaceable throughout the 97 constituencies noticed by CODEO LTOs. No incidence of violence, intimidation, or harassment particularly concentrating on girls was famous.

Conclusion and Recommendations

The findings offered on this second pre-election report point out an total peaceable marketing campaign surroundings throughout the 97 noticed constituencies, with political actions remaining largely issue-focused. CODEO is nonetheless involved concerning the restricted voter schooling regardless of some marginal enchancment. CODEO continues to induce all election stakeholders, together with the Electoral Commission, the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), media, and civil society organizations, to accentuate civic and voter schooling efforts nationwide. CODEO additionally urges all political events and their supporters to proceed with peaceable and issue-based campaigning. CODEO calls on all stakeholders to accentuate efforts, together with public schooling, to keep up the commonly peaceable political surroundings always through the December 7 polls. Finally, CODEO desires to make use of this chance to name on all stakeholders, particularly the regulation enforcement businesses, to implement legal guidelines that prohibit vote shopping for and abuse of incumbency, which contributes to uneven taking part in grounds for all presidential and parliamentary candidates forward of the election.

Follow linok for the list of constituencies: https://codeoghana.org/2024/11/codeo-list-of- constituencies-for-2024-lto/