As Ghanaians gear up for the polls on Sunday, many people are hopeful that the elections will be free, fair and peaceful. VOA English to Africa reporter Peter Clottey is in Ghana to cover the elections. He says in the three regions he has visited people are very enthusiastic. He says in Accra, Cape Coast, and Takoradi people are expressing confidence in the election process, and are looking forward to the end of the electioneering campaign tomorrow (Friday).
People
from all walks of like have been reading about the issues and making
comparisons of the track records of the political parties,” he said.
Clottey
said all the four leading political parties have been putting across their
message and explaining the policies they will pursue should they win.
He noted that people have confidence in the Ghana Electoral Commission because it has organized credible elections in the past.
“Sunday’s elections will be a marked improvement on the previous elections that were organized by the Ghana independent electoral commission. There were some problems but those problems have been addressed.”
Clottey mentioned seeing some international electoral observers and said their presence is visible on the ground. “Some observers from the Carter Center are in Accra. I also saw observers from the Africa Union Commission and the Commonwealth. Other observers from, say, the United states are moving throughout the country.”
He said another independent prominent observer is the former Nigerian president, General Yakubu Gowan. General Gowan has expressed optimism and confidence in the Ghana elections, saying Ghana has always led and been an example in good governance in Africa.