Apparently, since 1992 when Ghana had it's first democratic elections in the 4th Republic, politics mirrors that of the US.
Huh? Well, I'll explain.
The basics - since 1992, elections have been held every four years, in December, a month after the US elections. It's a multi-party system but there are two major political parties. The current NPP (New Patriotic Party) and the former NDC (National Democratic Congress). Can you guess which is the supposed Republican and which is the supposed Democratic party?
Alright.
That wasn't too difficult. It just so happens, that the NPP uses an elephant as its symbol as does the US Republican party. And when in 2000, Bush won the US presidency signalling a change in the leadership of the US, Ghanaians took it to mean that they too would see a change. And they did. The charismatic Bill Clinton, first US president to visit Ghana, and his equally as charismatic Ghanaian counterpart Jerry John Rawlings both democratically elected in 1992 and again in 1996 (though JJ Rawlings was head of state of Ghana for most of my life!) were OUT! with their liberalism and socialism respectively to be replaced with George W. Bush and John Kufuor. Bush and Kufuor who held on to their stations in the 2004 elections surprisingly, under whom the rich only got richer, and the poor, well? Except, it would be a dis-service to the latter to compare Dubya to Kufuor, I'm just saying.
So if McCain wins in November, should we then expect NPP to hold on to the realms with Akufo-Addo? Does the phenomenon that is Obama signal a return to NDC for Ghana by way of Atta-Mills? Hmmm!!! Countdown to November/December 2008 begins.
One thing for sure, I pray for peaceful elections in Ghana. Please no re-make of Kenya 07. Thank you.
I leave you with the battle of the billboards! They pretty much sum it up!
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