Introduction
One of the formidable challenges facing Ghana as it approaches the 2024 general elections is how the country can effectively manage its diversity against the backdrop of declining trust in state institutions, growing ethno-religious tensions, economic crisis, proliferation of illicit weapons and small arms, and inter-ethnic and inter-community conflicts.[i] Additionally, the resurgence of vigilantism, political violence, and immigration from neighboring countries, are placing additional strain on Ghana’s diversity governance framework. Therefore, Ghana needs to revisit its framework for managing diversity and peace, which has endured since the inception of the Fourth Republic in 1992.
This essay examines how the manifestos of Ghana’s two main political parties—the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC)—address governance challenges related to managing diversity in an increasingly heterogeneous society. Despite practicing multiparty democracy for over three decades, which includes eight election cycles, the NPP and NDC have consistently garnered over 90% of the total votes cast. This dominance is likely to persist in the upcoming ninth general election on December 7, 2024.
A critical assessment of the manifestos of the NPP and NDC is essential to understanding their diversity governance strategies for the next four years. Over the next six years, this will help realize Ghana’s potential to achieve an inclusive and peaceful society as envisaged by SDG 16. Furthermore, this critical assessment would provide policy recommendations for addressing the emerging challenges posed by human rights abuses and hate speech, which marginalize minority groups. It would also contribute towards establishing a durable framework for effective diversity governance.
Overview of Ghana’s diversity: Ethnic, religious and geographic factors
Ghana’s politics is impacted by ethnic, religious, and geographical factors. While such factors can threaten peace and inclusive development, ethnic identity has historically been a key tool for political mobilization in Ghana.[ii] For instance, ethnic and geographic considerations have significantly influenced the selection of presidential candidates for both the NPP and NDC since the beginning of the Fourth Republic.
In the eight previous presidential elections, a pattern emerged where presidential candidates from the northern part of Ghana typically selected vice-presidential candidates from the south, and vice versa. However, the 2024 general election presents a unique scenario: both major parties’ presidential candidates are from the northern part of Ghana. The incumbent vice president and NPP presidential candidate, Mahamudu Bawumia, comes from the North East Region, while John Dramani Mahama, the NDC presidential candidate, is from the Savannah Region. As expected, their vice-presidential candidates are from the southern part of Ghana— Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang of the NDC is from the Central Region, and Mathew Opoku Prempeh of the NPP represents the Ashanti Region. While the focus on regional representation in political leadership reflects efforts to balance diversity, this should not compromise competence or perpetuate a rigid alignment of political parties within specific geographic regions. Such tendencies could impact resource allocation and development planning in ways that could culminate in divisive tendencies.
Religious considerations also play a notable role in the 2024 elections. For the first time in the NPP’s history, its presidential candidate is a Muslim, while the NDC candidate is a Christian. At the grassroots level, these religious differences sometimes influence political affiliations, with supporters aligning themselves based on religion rather than the core tenets of party manifestos. While Ghana has maintained relative peace during past elections, despite these divisions, such stability cannot be taken for granted in future elections.
This essay evaluates the extent to which Ghana’s two main political parties incorporate respect for diversity and tolerance into their programs. While diversity appears well-integrated at the top leadership level of both parties, grassroots supporters often personalize political differences, occasionally resorting to violence along ethno-religious and geographic lines to advance their narrow agendas.
Emerging challenges of diversity in Ghanaian politics
Ethnic and inter-community conflicts
Ghana has long-standing ethnic and inter/intra-community conflicts across various parts of the country. Many of these conflicts have political undertones, further complicating efforts to resolve them. In recent times, issues related to chieftaincy, land disputes, and inter-ethnic tensions have become particularly pronounced, especially in the northern regions of Ghana.[iii] The current chieftaincy and ethnic conflicts in the North East and Savannah Regions are especially noteworthy, as these are the home regions of the NPP and NDC presidential candidates. Of particular concern is the conflict between the Mamprusi and Gonja ethnic groups in the Savannah Region, which are the ethnic affiliations of the presidential candidates of the NPP and NDC, respectively. Their approaches to resolving these conflicts remain uncertain, despite party politics playing a crucial role in conflict management—often with far-reaching implications.
Inter-ethnic conflicts in northern Ghana are spreading beyond the administrative boundaries of the directly affected regions, exacerbating tensions and threatening broader peace and security. These conflicts pose a significant challenge to inclusive governance in the regions, especially since key actors often align with specific political parties in hopes of leveraging government support. Such dynamics underscore the urgent need for effective conflict management strategies and governance mechanisms that prioritize inclusivity and equity across all ethnic and geographic lines.
Political party manifestos as a governance tool
Political party manifestos serve as critical blueprints that outline a party’s guiding principles, vision and priorities in addressing societal challenges, stimulating growth, and sustaining development. These manifestos outline strategic pathways for governance, reflecting a party’s long-term aspirations for future growth and development. In essence, a manifesto communicates a party’s overarching goals and provides a structured framework for planning and implementing development projects or delivering public services. As such, manifestos are not only policy documents but also accountability tools that enable citizens to assess the performance of governments at specific points in time.
Assessing the 2024 manifesto of the New Patriotic Party (NPP)
The NPP launched its 2024 manifesto on August 18, 2024, in Takoradi, in the Western Region of Ghana. The manifesto, themed “selfless leadership, bold solutions for jobs and business,” highlights the party’s commitment to fostering respect for diversity and building a tolerant society.[iv] The key NPP strategies for diversity management in Ghana include the following: Firstly, in ensuring inclusive governance, the manifesto underscores a strong commitment to fair regional representation in government decision-making processes, thus addressing geographic disparities and cultural diversity in government appointments and business opportunities. Secondly, the manifesto outlines strategic initiatives to empower women, youth, and Persons with Disabilities (PWDs). Specifically, the party promises tax incentives and promoting entrepreneurship among marginalized groups to enable equal opportunities for growth and development. Lastly, party prioritize education as a tool for promoting cultural tolerance and respect for diversity, by building on the Free Senior High School (SHS) program and expanding access to Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET). These initiatives are designed to ensure that individuals from all socioeconomic backgrounds have access to quality education.
Assessing the 2024 manifesto of the National Democratic Congress (NDC)
The NDC launched its 2024 manifesto on August 24, 2024, at the University of Education, Winneba, in the Central Region. The manifesto, themed “Resetting Ghana,” outlines strategies aimed at fostering inclusivity, tolerance, and development for a better Ghana.[v] Firstly, the manifesto reiterated the party’s commitment to ensuring gender equality. The manifesto includes a promise to allocate 30% of political appointments to women, proposes the establishment of a Women’s Development Bank to support women in business and entrepreneurship, and to provide free sanitary pads to schoolgirls to improve hygiene and incentivize education. It also advocates for zero tolerance for gender-based violence and the development of a national policy to support survivors of domestic violence and sexual harassment. Secondly, the manifesto outlines comprehensive plans for PWDs, including free tertiary education, the creation of a national para-sports festival, and initiatives to identify and employ PWDs to improve their welfare. These strategies aim to integrate PWDs into mainstream development processes while addressing their unique challenges. Thirdly, in terms of legislative and policy commitments, the NDC demonstrates its intent to operationalize the Affirmative Action Act, develop the Property Rights of Spouses Bill, and the Domestic Workers Bill. These initiatives aim to promote equitable access to resources for vulnerable groups.
Comparative analysis
It is important to note that while both parties strive for increased gender representation, support for people with disabilities, youth empowerment, and economic inclusion as means to managing diversity in their 2024 manifestos, notable differences are apparent.
Firstly, NPP expresses an intention to include women in leadership positions. However, the manifesto provides limited direct strategies for achieving this. In contrast, the NDC explicitly commits to a 30% representation of women in political appointments and leadership roles, supported by the operationalization of the Affirmative Action Act and the establishment of Women’s Development Bank.
Secondly, both manifestos acknowledge the importance of supporting PWDs and marginalized groups. However, the NPP lacks detailed, specific programs tailored to marginalized groups. In contrast, the NDC proposes targeted initiatives, such as free tertiary education for all PWDs and special schemes to support women-led businesses and entrepreneurship.
Thirdly, both parties prioritize youth empowerment. The NPP emphasizes initiatives like the Free Senior High School (SHS) policy and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) to promote equitable opportunities for youth development. In contrast, the NDC promises the creation of digital jobs, support for arts and tourism, and the establishment of free TVET training centers to benefit the youth. Nevertheless, both parties advocate for using education and cultural tourism as tools to promote tolerance and peaceful coexistence.
Finally, economic inclusion is a key focus for both parties. The NPP prioritizes regional development to ensure equitable resource distribution across all regions in Ghana. In comparison, the NDC highlights economic empowerment initiatives, such as introducing a 24-hour economy to create jobs across various demographics and establishing a Women’s Development Bank to significantly enhance women’s economic empowerment.
Concluding remarks
In conclusion, the manifestos of both the NDC and NPP reflect a shared commitment to governing diversity. However, their strategies and approaches differ significantly. The NPP adopts broader strategies aimed at regional integration and youth education through initiatives like Free SHS and TVET programs. Conversely, the NDC manifesto offers more specific measures, such as allocating leadership quotas for women, providing free tertiary education for PWDs, and establishing the Women’s Development Bank to empower women economically.
Both manifestos emphasize the importance of inclusivity and tolerance as essential for achieving peaceful coexistence and sustainable development, utilizing education, economic policies, and cultural tourism as tools for fostering unity. Nevertheless, both parties fall short in providing critical details on funding sources for their diversity management initiatives. They also lack comprehensive strategies for monitoring and evaluating ethnic, community, and regional integration programs.
Both parties lack a clear and specific strategy for managing the growing migrant population in Ghana, which has increased significantly partly due to insecurity in the neighboring West Africa subregion. Additionally, neither party provides a concrete plan for addressing political violence as part of their efforts to build inclusive societies. These omissions undermine their broader quest for fostering an inclusive and tolerant society, as effectively integrating migrants and mitigating political violence are critical to achieving social cohesion and sustainable development. This omission raises concerns about the practical translation of these policies into action and the achievement of SDG 16 in the next six years.
Such gaps are evident in ongoing issues, such as protracted chieftaincy conflicts, which are predominantly intra-ethnic, while the manifestos primarily focus on inter-ethnic integration. Moreover, it is imperative for the manifestos to reflect a stronger commitment to leveraging established institutions like the National Peace Council, the National House of Chiefs, and faith-based organizations to enhance integration and uphold respect for diversity.
Endnotes
- West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP). 2024.Ghana’s 2024 elections: A test case for democratic resilience. Accessed November 25, 2024. https://wanep.org/wanep/warm-policy-brief-ghanas-2024-elections-a-test-case-for-democratic-resilience/.
- Musah, H., and T. Tseer. 2023. “Ethnic Plurality, Political Mobilisation, Social Divisions, and the Formation of Conflict Structures in North-Eastern Ghana.”Political Science International 1 (1): 1–10.
- Jonsson, J. 2007.The Overwhelming Minority: Traditional Leadership and Ethnic Conflict in Ghana’s Northern Region. Accessed November 23, 2024. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/57a08c0840f0b64974000f52/wp30.pdf.
- New Patriotic Party (NPP). 2024.Manifesto for Election 2024: Selfless Leadership, Bold Solutions for Jobs and Business. Accessed November 22, 2024. https://npp-usa.org/npp-2024-manifesto/.
- National Democratic Congress (NDC). 2024.Manifesto for Election 2024: Resetting Ghana: Jobs, Accountability, and Prosperity for All. Accessed November 23, 2024. https://www.scribd.com/document/764731038/Official-NDC-Manifesto-2024-pdf-download.
