Electoral Tension, Violence and the Consolidation of Multi-Party Democracy in Ghana

摘要

Since the reintroduction of democracy and its component of elections in African countries in the early 1990s, electoral periods in most countries on the continent, including Ghana (a country touted to be doing well in democracy in Africa), have been characterized by tension and violence that have been to the detriment of peace and security of respective countries. Though this phenomenon has not been rampant in Ghana as in other African countries such as Kenya, Gabon, the Ivory Coast, Zimbabwe and Nigeria, among others, the intense tension that has characterized electoral periods in the country since 1992 and the localized incidences of violence in certain constituencies constitute a threat to the growth and consolidation of the country's fledging (CODEO, 2009) democracy. Most literature on election violence have concentrated mainly on the immediate triggers of such tension and violence leaving out the long-term reasons. Also, in spite of the fact that the political environment in Ghana is homogenous, there is research and literature that establish that certain constituencies tend to be more prone to violence than others. There are also gaps relating to the impact of such tension and violence on individuals in affected communities. The purpose of this work was to determine the main factors why a community in Ghana experiences extreme tension and cases of violence during electoral periods in spite of its democratic achievements. Utilizing a case study approach, I endeavored to draw clear distinctions between the sources and causes (triggers) of electoral tension and violence and the factors that allow some communities to be more susceptible to violence than others in the larger Ghanaian society. In addition, I also sought to find out how such tension/violence impacts various individuals and ultimately the consolidation of multiparty democracy.