The Economist magazine has observed that despite the fact that the John Mahama-led National Democratic Congress has messed up the Ghanaians economy, it is determined to rig the December 7 elections.
According to the magazine, a cabinet minister in the current government has also admitted to cheating in the 2012 elections.
“The 2012 election was won because of me, I’m the one who did the gerrymandering,” one government minister boasted, according to the magazine.
The economist pointed out in a report, titled “Nkrumah’s heirs: A country that should be a beacon of African democracy is ailing,” that the Mahama government, instead of focusing on important issues to convince the electorate to vote for him, “relies on patronage, and on spending money it does not have.”
It added that the NDC government, led by President Mahama, is so fiscally undisciplined that it had to rely on the International Monetary Fund for a bailout.
“However, with public debt hovering at about 70% of GDP (and debt repayments accounting for a third of government revenue), its finances are precarious. Worse, it has already squandered the windfalls it expects from the development of large offshore oilfields. The roads are full of potholes, there are regular power cuts and big companies talk openly about moving across the border into Ivory Coast,” the economist disclosed.
Describing the flagbearer of the NPP, Nana Akufo-Addo, as an accomplished lawyer and economist, the magazine said the NPP with Nana Akufo-Addo can turn the fortunes of the country around “with a mix of market- and investment-friendly policies.”
“Although the NPP’s instincts are relatively liberal, it has tacked in a populist direction, with slogans such as “one district, one factory” and ‘one village, one dam’, in a bid to broaden its appeal,” it added.
The magazine stated emphatically that even though the NPP stands a greater chance of winning the December 7 elections, the actions and inactions of the EC Chairperson, Charlotte Osei, must be a source of concern.
“Charlotte Osei, the head of the electoral commission, insists that this will be the cleanest vote in Ghana’s history, but she will face a tough task convincing voters of that. Many complain that the electoral roll has been stuffed with supporters of the ruling party who are ineligible to vote, because they are too young or are not citizens” the report added.
However, the economist stressed that whichever party wins the December 7 polls will have the difficult task of putting the country back into shape.
“Whichever party wins will have its work cut out, not only in trying to stabilize the economy, but also in tackling some of Ghana’s deeper problems. If Ghana is to live up to its reputation as a beacon of democracy in Africa, it needs to clean itself up,” it ended.
Source: The New Statesman
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Economist magazine???? Which year? Which page?
NDC KNOWS HOW TO USE THE STATE MONEY TO BUY THE CONSCIENCE OF EC COMISSIONERS, EC OFFICIALS, POLLING AGENTS TO RIG THE ELECTION. THE CONSCIENCE OF THESE PEOPLE SHOULD NOT BE TRUSTED. NPP SHOULD OPEN THEIR EYES WIDE AND CHECK THE BALLOT PAPERS, PRINTING OF PINK SHEETS AND MANIPULATION OF FIGURES. NPP SHOULD BE AT THE POLLING STATIONS AND WATCH THE POLLING AGENTS CAREFULLY, FILLING OF PINK SHEETS, SENDING THE PINK SHEET TO COLLATION CENTRES AND COMPILLATION AND TALLY OF ALL THE FIGURES. NO ONE SHOULD BE TRUSTED IN THE ELECTION PROCESS.
This is such a classical scenario of fallacious and cheap propagandist display of sheer ignorance in the bid to throw dust in the eyes of our teeming electoral college but we are very discerning and can scrutinize issues so well.If you believe in this findings then please go to the appropriate authorities. JM TOASO
Akyem mafia, good try but sorry. You will never get to the presidency. You can twist and turn the facts to suit your whims and caprices but it will still not jive. If your forking id.iots think Akufo Addo is bring hime the bacon and you are already salivating, then you better think twice.
common sense should tell you that if you have a shred of evidence of an impending cheating you should report to the police or explain how it is going to happen so that people will be vigilant and prevent it. Cos if you know its going to happen and it happens then am sorry you are Stu^^d. Wise up
nonsensical
First two comments are straight from NDC propagandists. Anyone with a peanut size brain and the will to think objectively knows this article is true.
@ Massa Oppong Yeboah ; STOP THIS FAECES OF PROPAGANDA FOR THIS KROOKED JON MAHAMA because if business are booming as you seem to propagate ; why is Ghana unable to pay its external debts and why is the government finding it difficult to pay for its domestic debts ; all the economic areas you mentioned are in trouble ; Radio & TV are not booming but are making a huge loss go check with the owners of TV and radio stations ; this assertions that resl estate is booming is a load of CRAB ; which average earner in Ghana can afford and a property for over $150,000; most the properties are empty and cannot be sold go check at Tema and other places ; properties are difficult to shift these days what is this ***barred word*** about booming shopping malls ; how many people shop in these places apart from people with good means and fraudulent monies to spend like woyome and others ; buying a car does not mean you are successful ; it all debt because how of these young guys buy these cars with cash ; it is all bought through loans but each loan has a cost; your health propaganda is complete sheet because Ghanaians eat the wrong food and have therefore developed these HT and diabetes this does not mean the country is booming and please do not tell me the interchange built by Jon Mahama means Ghana is booming because all Jon Mahama has done is created debt for Ghana to pay with over invoiced project price .
Every business in Ghana now is booming, there business environment is so competitive and nobody enjoys a monopoly anymore. Real estate is a booming business now, Radio and TV stations booming, Gas stations booming, Shopping malls booming, lots of young people now own cars and houses than ever before. More and more people are graduating from our universities than ever before. Even the 'pure' water business is a booming one. Kwashiorkor which is caused by malnutrition in kids is now a thing of the past and obesity is now a problem, hypertension and diabetes now tops OPD cases and we all know these are lifestyle diseases, the negative side of affluent living. The brain drain is not a problem anymore, as a matter of fact we have a surplus of health professionals. Nobody can convince me this country is not going forward. JM Toaso.