Candidates Intensify Campaigns on Ghana’s December Presidential Elections
Jubilee House, the official seating of the Ghana’s Head of State. Photo: By Jessica Gardner – Self-published work by Jessica Gardner (originally posted to Flickr as Presidential Palace in Accra)., CC BY 2.0,
October 24, 2024 Hour: 5:22 pm
As Ghana gears up for its presidential election in December, the country’s two leading candidates, Vice President Mahamadu Bawumia of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and former President John Dramani Mahama of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), are crisscrossing the country, presenting their policy visions to voters.
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Mahama, making his third bid for the presidency after losses in 2016 and 2020, is going head-to-head with Bawumia, a former central banker and economist. Both candidates are prioritizing Ghana’s economic recovery, a pressing issue for many, as the country remains under an International Monetary Fund (IMF) program to restructure its $30 billion external debt. The $3 billion IMF support package was aimed at stabilizing an economy weakened by years of accumulated borrowing.
Bawumia, the ruling party’s flagbearer, is championing digital innovation as the key to boosting employment, particularly among the youth. “All the youth, we need jobs. I am going to give one million youths digital skills in Ghana,” Bawumia declared at a rally in the Volta region, emphasizing his vision for a tech-driven economy. He promises to provide digital skills training to even school dropouts, signaling his focus on inclusivity in his economic agenda.
Mahama, on the other hand, has rallied behind his party’s ambitious 24-hour economy policy, which he claims will unlock Ghana’s full economic potential by expanding business hours and creating more jobs. “Despite the president and vice president claiming to have created over 2 million jobs, I ask where are these jobs?” Mahama questioned during a rally in the Ahafo region, asserting that his plan would address the nation’s unemployment issues.
Both candidates have made pledges to reduce certain taxes, including a 10% levy on betting income, the COVID-19 levy, and the e-levy, all of which have sparked discontent among voters. Their campaign strategies reflect a shift from large rallies to more community-focused engagements, a trend noted by political analyst Ibrahim Alhassan.
“The campaigns for the two major parties have gone through some changes,” Alhassan told DW, highlighting the tailored strategies now being employed to target specific voter groups. He also pointed out that despite their distinct approaches, the promises made by both parties are strikingly similar.
With Ghana’s economic recovery at the forefront, the upcoming election is set to be a closely contested race between two seasoned candidates offering different visions for the future. As the campaigns progress, voters will ultimately decide which path they believe will best lead the nation out of its current economic challenges.
Autor: OSG
Fuente: DW Africa