Electoral Politics in Ghana’s 4th Republic (1992-2016) and its Implications on Future Elections

Abstract

Seven successive democratic elections conducted in Ghana between 1992 and 2016 has resulted in peaceful alternation of power between two major political parties; namely the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in what Huntington refers to as the turn over test. Whiles this remains a major step in consolidating multiparty democracy and a model for Africa, Boafo-Arthur has argued that, “elections in most African countries remains very difficult to predict due to several social factors like high levels of illiteracy, ethnic proclivities, religious attachment and personalities” (Boafo-Arthur, 2006:1). Looking at the electoral politics of Ghana since 1992, it would be observed that, different factors has accounted to the electoral dynamics as well as electoral victories and defeats. Some political pundits have attributed these dynamics to issues of ethnic bloc voting, Political power capture by the two dominant political parties among other myriads factors. This research paper investigates electoral dynamics of Ghana since 1992, the major determinants of elections, some interesting established electoral traditions in Ghana and its implications on future elections.