Emmanuel Debrah

Measuring Governance Institutions' Success in Ghana: The Case of the Electoral Commission, 1993–2008

The need for state institutions to promote good governance is now a necessary condition for consolidating new democracies. However, achieving this objective represents a daunting challenge for the emerging constitutional bodies in Ghana. This article sets out to examine the Electoral Commissions (EC) efforts at institutionalising good governance in the management of the electoral process. Against the backdrop of failed electoral process in most African countries, the EC has organised four successful general elections with marginal errors. The most distinguishing factors accounting for the ECs success were largely, but not exclusively, the making of the electoral process transparent, fostering agreement on the rules of the game and asserting its autonomy in relation to the performance of its mandate. What needs to be done is electoral reform to overcome challenges posed by delayed adjudication of post-election disputes and executive financial control of the EC. This will require the creation of an electoral court to deal swiftly and impartially with election disputes and a special electoral fund to insulate the EC from governments financial manipulations.

The Politics of Decentralization in Ghana's Fourth Republic

Abstract: This article assesses how the District Assemblies in Ghana’s Fourth Republic have exercised political, administrative, and fiscal powers transferred to them by the central government. It notes that the creation of the assemblies has promoted popular participation and boosted the autonomy of front-line officials in terms of decision-making and the allocation of financial resources at the local level. However, the central government retains the authority to appoint the District Chief Executive and 30 percent of the assembly members. Local governments experience delays in the transfer of funds, an inability to absorb civil servants of decentralized departments into the local culture, and a lack of capacity to raise revenue for development. The article argues that local election of the District Chief Executive and increased allocation of funds to the rural districts would attract entrepreneurs and skilled civil servants who would be able to implement effective decentralization. Résumé: Cet article examine comment les assemblées de district dans la Quatrième République du Ghana ont exercé des pouvoirs politiques, administratifs et fiscaux qui leur ont été transférés par le gouvernement central. Il note que la création des assemblées a favorisé la participation populaire et stimulé l’autonomie des fonctionnaires de première ligne en termes de prise de décision et d’allocation des ressources financières au niveau local. Cependant, le gouvernement central conserve le pouvoir de nommer le chef de district et trente pour cent des membres de l’assemblée. Les gouvernements locaux sont victimes de retards dans le transfert des fonds, d’une incapacité à intégrer les fonctionnaires nommés dans la culture locale, et d’un manque de capacité à générer des recettes pour le développement. L’article soutient que les élections locales du chef de district et l’augmentation des fonds alloués aux districts ruraux attireraient des entrepreneurs et des fonctionnaires qualifiés qui seraient en mesure de mettre en œuvre une décentralisation efficace.

Preventing the Oil Curse Situation in Ghana: The Role of Civil Society Organisations

Since Ghana started commercial production of oil in 2011, the overarching concern has been how to avoid a resource curse. This article examines the role civil society organisations (CSOs) have played in preventing Ghana from falling into the oil curse situation. It notes specific civil society initiatives that aim to promote transparency and accountability in oil governance. The Civil Society Platform on Oil and Gas has facilitated the creation of legislative frameworks, checks and monitoring systems to keep government and oil companies on their toes even though weak capacity, politicisation and lack of access to information remain a challenge to CSOs’ effective mobilisation. They need to pursue collaborative rather than adversarial relationships with the government, promote participatory learning in their internal management and instigate the government to promote macroeconomic stability, wealth creation, infrastructure development and employment for the youth with oil revenues.

The Ghanaian Voter and the 2008 General Election

ABSTRACT Why do Ghanaian voters who vote for co-ethnics do so? Analysing survey and interview data drawn from segments of the voting population, the article demonstrates that the electorates vote for their ethnic group candidates because they believe in their ability to solve the prevailing economic problems of the country in terms of improving their living standards and delivering development projects to their constituencies. Ethnic voting, therefore, is not an end in itself rather it is a means to an end. The article notes that ethnic voting is relevant to the extent that it is directly linked to the economy and development projects. Ethnic voting contributes to democratic growth rather than disintegrating multiparty politics. It allows politicians and their parties to rely on ethnic groups for constant supply of votes thereby fostering regular mass/electorates’ participation in the electoral and democratic process.

Biometric technology for voter identification: The experience in Ghana

ABSTRACT Our study examines how and why Ghanas first attempt to use biometric technology for voter identification and verification in its 2012 general elections failed. We employ activity theory as the analytical lens and interpretive case study as the methodology. Our findings show that the effectiveness of biometric technology to provide reliable identification does not depend solely on its technical qualities but also on real-time connectivity between registration centres and an electronic national register. Furthermore, the electoral officials need to be trained intensively to operate the machines and given guidance on how to handle situations when breakdowns occur. While biometric technology does introduce powerful capabilities, it is just one piece of a complex human activity system.

Does the use of a biometric system guarantee an acceptable election’s outcome? Evidence from Ghana’s 2012 election

ABSTRACT The article examines how the deployment of a biometric technology in Ghana’s 2012 election ended in confusion and put the legitimacy of the election outcome in jeopardy. Analysing data drawn from 100 interviews and 500 surveys on the extent to which the use of a biometric voter registration and electronic voter verification technology impacted the election’s outcome, the article found that the biometric system stimulated high voter participation and confidence in the electoral process; and served as a forensic measure against election fraud such as impersonation and multiple voting. However, the problem caused by electronic voter verification malfunction, human error and policy manipulation by polling officials neutralised the efficacy of the biometric technology as an instrument for achieving an election outcome.