- This year’s general election will be different from previously held ones, due to the scourge of the COVID-19 virus.
- On June 30, the beleaguered electoral commission commenced the voter register compilation exercise.
- Health personnel recorded temperatures as high as 39.6 degrees Celsius which was above the normal 37.5 degrees.
- Global Health Expert, Dr. John Amuasi called EC to address laxity in the adherence to safety protocols at some registration centers.
- Mr. Carlos Ahenkorah admitted on Asempa FM on Thursday, July, 2, that he visited voter registration centers with full knowledge that he had tested positive for Covid-19.
Ordinarily, political seasons in Ghana are usually draped in a confetti of emotions, party theme songs, banter on words, debate on superiority and markings of party strongholds with campaign promises in the golden manifesto books. Party branded vehicles with rabble-rousing songs meant to cut the opposition to size, and songs intended to denigrate and downplay the significance of party rivals worth remain dominant. Walls, storefronts, malls, public vehicles, and any redeemably good surface becomes a poster child for party propaganda. More subliminally, political parties during campaign seasons do certainly have inked hearts for the creative, as they surreptitiously ignite a call to action in their advertisement rollout thereby appealing to the emotions of the “impressionable voter”. Parliamentary candidate tail behind their presidential nominee on campaign trips, capitalizing on their accomplishments in their various constituencies during the years in powers to lobby for re-elections from the electorates.
Light-hearted moments which usually characterizes these times are arguably one made for the comic strip. The artists in politicians are roused by Shakespeare in the creation of 21st century version of satires, wits, humor, clap backs and pure character-indicting innuendoes. The world is currently a tinderbox being lighted up in a bonfire of destruction, and not quite as expected, a global shake-up has occurred in this year’s election season. Ultimately, the world’s stage has been reduced to something less than a global village as the world is in a boxing ring fighting a common enemy. And with nations collectively in boxing gloves and mouth guard, we are hoping to knockout the COVID-19 pandemic out of the globe. As many nations are still grappling with their healthcare system and bankrupting economies, some are still trying to find alternative way of living by swaying from toxic COVID news. So the prospect of “election fevers” offers the jitters people are looking forward to.
Precedent to COVID- held elections
Predominantly, there are always precedents to a story and the tale of elections have been effortlessly acted on by Cameroon, Mali, Guinea, Burundi and recently Malawi, but not without their own issues. Benin which went ahead with its local elections on May 17 took the most precautionary measures.
There, the government cancelled campaign events and banned gatherings of over 50 people, forcing candidates to focus on media appearances and campaign posters. Conversely, some other countries have dropped their bravado muscle and rescinded their decision to conduct elections.Countries such as Gambia, Kenya, Nigeria, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe have all suspended sub-national elections. Ethiopia has postponed national polls. And in early-May, South Africa’s electoral commission announced it was delaying 30 municipal by-elections and warned that polls scheduled for 2021 could also be affected.
Ghana’s election story
Ghana’s narrative on the buildup to the big elections is one for the box-office with its serial and pockets of controversies, lawsuits, counter-lawsuits, malignant sparring over safety concerns became huge driving points, especially more so as the country’s healthcare system have been overwhelmed and COVID positive cases are breaking the roof to willfully breathe in the election air. As a prelude to the nation’s voter’s register compilation which was swathed with court cases and reverberating tone of disagreement over its relevance, the litmus test of success would have been the primary elections organized by the incumbent party, the National Patriotic Party (NPP). However, things went south and sent chills down the spine of viewers as videos and news items chronicled the genesis to another wave of the pandemic. It spiraled further down as the primary elections became ‘comorbidity’ to the marring of the grand elections.
In the natural scheme of things, this wouldn’t have so much received such suspicious stares and cringes, but the reckless display and reception to results by delegates, sympathizers and other interested parties desecrated the sanctity of the rule of engagement in the abnormal time we live in. The much touted social distancing, adherence to safety protocols and awareness of the lurking presence of the COVID-19 virus became an afterthought as results started trickling in, and apparently, some people tested positive for COVID after the primaries which invariably gave veritable proof of the foreboding blight on the voter’s registration exercise. The questions of who protects and cares for the delegates and patriotic individuals who want to exercise their right more than fulfillment of an obligation to an EC register compilation and also the added burden of a public health crisis through COVID-19, who bears the cost of lives and resources?
On June 30, the beleaguered electoral commission commenced the registration exercise and gave the accompanying promise of nurses, doctors, test kits and checking of temperature and the assurance of ensuring people abide by the face mask wearing, washing of hands, social distancing and other safety protocols, and like any other operation it was a “false-start”.
In an interview after day one of the registration exercise, Global Health Expert, Dr. John Amuasi called on the Electoral Commission (EC) to address ‘teething’ problems as there was a laxity in the adherence to safety protocols at some registration centers across the country and just like most worried commentary from the public, he stated that if steps are not taken to ensure strict adherence to the Covid-19 safety protocols, there would be dire consequences.
Some persons who had gone to register for the new voter ID card at the Korle Bu Police Station registration center were suspected to have symptoms of COVID-19. A stationed health official at the registration center found the occurrence rather troubling. Their temperatures recorded as high as 39.6 degrees Celsius which was above the normal 37.5 degrees the health personnel were looking out for, as a result, over twenty persons suspected to have the virus were identified, and this is just one center. Quite candidly, concern for the health of people by themselves, political heads and the “government” have been oversimplified to the point of being disregarded and is considered an egregiously normal phenomenon. Who can really convince an individual who doesn’t live under a rock about the harm they’re exposed to when they liberally refuse to wear their mask and socially-distance despite every attempt being made to deflect the stain of the virus on them? The government can only do so much although they can’t plead the fifth much in this discourse.
The flag is flying at “half-mast” for the cream of the crop in governance who have bitten the dust of COVID-19, others like the National Chairman for the New Patriotic Party, Peter Mac Manu is battling for his life in the hospital. Sadly, it’s still not enough an evidential and existential proof for the blind Bartimaeus and doubting Thomas’ in our midst of the presence of the virus. Yes, it may not be ostensibly seen but it can be visibly proven by the scores of lives it has swept in one fell swoop. On the bright Friday morning of July 3 which should have been buzzing with TGIF hashtags, Ghanaians woke up to a rather sack Ahenkorah hashtags trending feeds of his resignation. Leaders are supposedly mandated to lead, but when they front causes which leads people on the cliff-edge of destruction either endears others to retreat or reference it for their own acts of rebellion. His resignation came after he breached Covid- 19 protocols. Mr. Carlos Ahenkorah admitted on Asempa FM on Thursday, July, 2, that he visited voter registration centers with full knowledge that he had tested positive for Covid-19.
It was after the death of Sir John that news also broke that Mr. Ahenkorah was also at Korle Bu for treatment. As the story of Mr. Ahenkorah’s admission travelled farther, footage was circulated on social media, showing the MP touring some voter registration centers on Tuesday, with one particularly of him shaking hands, hugging and dancing with supporters after winning the NPP Parliamentary Primaries in his constituency. Many have described his actions as reckless, going against almost everything the government, especially, the president has been advising Ghanaians to do to stem the spread of Covid-19. With such outright defiance of covid-19 protocols stakeholders are trying to hold together, it seems the “pawns” can checkmate on the kings, queens and their castle.
As Ghana has chosen to maintain its electoral calendar despite the public health crisis, it is imperative to not only introduce unique health and safety measures as examples from across the world have shown. Electoral officials, governments, and opposition all need to begin to think about best-practice pathways to not only ensure the integrity of the electoral process, preserve public health and wellbeing, but ensure that our countries do not spiral into violence and conflict. Most importantly, persons registering, potential voters and by large the ordinary Ghanaian must carry their own cross of protection by adhering to the safety protocols for their own good.
