5 killed in Ghana election violence - pray not slipping backwards to join likes of Zimbabwe

For many years now, Ghana has successfully held free, fair and credible elections, a successful and stable democracy. And the country has benefited greatly for with stable and functioning democracy the nation has stamped out corruption and mismanagement, the scourge behind the criminal waste of human and material resources in many countries in Africa.

Ghana's working and functioning democracy was an example for other African countries to follow; a lighthouse in the black stormy night, a beckon of hope. Reports of violence and vote rigging in this week's elections has everyone holding his/her breath - has the flickering light been extinguished!

"Ghana's President Nana Akufo-Addo has been re-elected after a tightly contested election on Monday," reported BBC.

"Mr Akufo-Addo obtained 51.6% of the vote, compared with 47.4% won by his main rival, ex-President John Mahama, official results showed.

"Mr Mahama has not yet conceded defeat. His party has rejected the results, citing alleged irregularities."

There are reports of elections related violence and five people killed!

There are many reasons why it has been near impossible to build and sustain a healthy and functioning democratic system of government in Africa. Whilst most leaders have praised to the high heaven the importance of free, fair and credible elections when they are the outside selecting to be elected.

However, once in power, most African leaders have, more often than not, worked tireless to undermine and corrupt the country's democratic institutions to ensure the next elections will NOT be free, fair and credible. They have tasted power and giving it up again is simply unthinkable!

In Zimbabwe, the nation's first elections to usher independence were not free, fair and credible because Mugabe and his Zanu PF cronies told the voters the civil would continue if Zanu PF lost the elections. So the people voted to end the war.

And soon thereafter Mugabe launched the Gukurahundi massacre to force the late Dr Joshua Nkomo and his PF Zapu, the country's main opposition party, to join Zanu PF. The 1987 Zanu PF and PF Zapu Unity Accord cleared the way for the imposition of the de facto one-party dictatorship that has ruled Zimbabwe for the last 40 years and counting.

Zimbabwe had its golden opportunity during the 2008 to 2013 GNU to implement the democratic reforms and dismantle the Zanu PF dictatorship. Sadly, Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC friends, who were entrusted the task of implementing the reforms, failed to get even one reform implemented in five years. They turned out to be breathtakingly corrupt and incompetent.

Worst of all, Zanu PF has learnt that as long as the party allowed MDC to win a few gravy train seats, the opposition will participate in elections regardless how flawed and illegal the process happened to be. The regime failed to produce a verified voters' roll, a legal and common sense requirement, for example and still Nelson Chamisa and his MDC A participated in the 2018 elections regardless.

By participating in flawed and illegal elections the opposition have given the process credibility and the result legitimacy.

And so, as things stand, Zimbabwe has no hope of ever holding free, fair and credible elections. Zanu PF has the carte blanche powers to rig elections and, by participating in the flawed elections, MDC is providing the regime with the legitimacy cover!

Ever since the failed 2008 GNU Zanu PF and MDC have entered into a political arrangement; MDC will never implement any reforms to curtail Zanu PF dictatorial powers and will continue participating in flawed elections to give the result legitimacy. Zanu PF will rig the elections to secure 2/3 parliamentary majority and the presidency. Zanu PF will give MDC the surety of winning the remaining 1/3 of the parliamentary seats.

Sure, this Zanu PF and MDC is a marriage of convenience and trust is in short supply as each party is always on the lookout to increase its share of the spoils of power. This is a marriage of cats, there is always going to be a lot of growling, biting and swiping with those razor sharp claws but you will always get the kittens - proof the marriage was consummated!

This is Ghana's eighth presidential election since the adapting a new 1992 multiparty democratic constitution - after years of military rule - and most elections have been judge free, fair and credible. Zimbabwe had a new constitution in 2013, another product of the 2008 to 2013 GNU. It was just another wasted opportunity as the new constitution has failed to deliver free and fair elections.

So given Ghana's reputation of holding free, fair and credible elections the whole world await the reports of independent election observers to find out whether Ghana has become just another African country incapable of holding free, fair and credible elections.

Nelson Chamisa refused to concede defeat to Mnangagwa in July 2018, just as Morgan Tsvangirai refused to do the same to Mugabe in the July 2013 elections claiming Zanu PF had rigged the elections. However, no one of substance has ever taken Chamisa and Tsvangirai serious, how can one when MDC leaders participated in the elections even without something as basic to free and fair elections as a verified voters' roll!

In 1992 Ghana had the opportunity to reset its dysfunctional political system and it would be heartbreaking if the country is slipping back to the dark days of violent and rigged elections. In 2008 to 2013 Zimbabwe had the opportunity to reset its dysfunctional one-party dictatorship and we botched-up.

Ghana has something to hold and cherish; we are still stuck with a corrupt and ruthless dictatorship, the 2008 GNU changed nothing!