A Ghanaian Election
I am looking out for the documentary film, ”An African Election” by the director Jarreth Merz. The film covers the dramatic events surrounding Ghana’s 2008 presidential elections. The election was only the second time–since Ghana ended military rule in 1992–that power would change hands through an election. Following a run-off, the two top candidates–the ruling party’s Nana Akufo-Addo and his challenger John Atta-Mills (who incidentally campaigned like Barack Obama was his running mate)–were tied for the lead. Results had to be delayed because of disputes over balloting and counting procedures. Some observers feared violence. Of course we now know how it all ended (Atta-Mills became Ghana’s new president). But judging from the trailer above we do get a sense of the high stakes.
The film made the cut at the Sundance Film Festival next month (it’s in competition), so there’s some hope it may get a limited release (the fate of documentary films with a non-US focus and that’s not fronted by celebrities) at an independent theater near you (if you live in a major metropolitan center) or on a cable channel or onto online viewing platforms like Netflix or Hulu.–Sean Jacobs
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Opposition Leader Is Declared the Winner of Ghana’s Presidential Election
President-elect John Atta Mills speaking on Saturday
DAKAR, Senegal — John Atta Mills of the opposition National Democratic Congress party narrowly won a runoff vote for the presidency of Ghana, one of Africa’s most stable and prosperous democracies, electoral officials announced Saturday.
He defeated Nana Akufo-Addo, also a 64-year-old lawyer, who was the candidate of the New Patriotic Party. The party has governed Ghana for the past eight years.Speaking to a huge crowd of supporters outside his party’s headquarters in Accra, Ghana’s capital, Mr. Atta Mills, a 64-year-old tax lawyer who had twice run unsuccessfully for the job, said, “I assure Ghanaians that I will be president for all.”
The runoff was held last Sunday, but disagreements over the balloting and counting delayed results, raising tensions and fears of violence. One district, Tain, voted Friday.
But both candidates sought to ease tensions. According to Reuters, Mr. Akufo-Addo said, “I acknowledge the electoral commissioner’s declaration and congratulate Professor Mills.”
This is Ghana’s second democratic transfer of power from one party to another since it returned to elected government in 1992, when Jerry Rawlings, a longtime military ruler, opened the country to multiparty democracy.
Mr. Rawlings, a founder of the National Democratic Congress, won two terms, then stepped down as the Constitution required. The current president, John Kufuor of the center-right New Patriotic Party, defeated Mr. Atta Mills in 2000 and also served two terms.
Ghana has prospered in recent years and has been favored by international investors and donors for its open market policies and stable democracy, but the election largely turned on questions of who would turn the economic growth into real gains in the standard of living of most Ghanaians.
Mr. Akufo-Addo pledged to continue the high-growth policies but put a greater emphasis on creating jobs. Mr. Atta Mills argued that Ghana had become a more unequal and corrupt nation. Crime was rising, he said, as Ghana has become a hub of the drug trade between South America and Europe.
Mr. Akufo-Addo won the most votes in the first round, but the winner needs a majority. In the runoff, Mr. Atta Mills won with a little over 50 percent.
Ghana’s largely peaceful and smooth transition stands in stark contrast to the electoral upheaval that in the past two years has rocked several African countries, including Nigeria, Kenya and Zimbabwe.