Ghana’s Peaceful Election 2012: A Lesson for Africa?

Abstract

Ghana is often considered a peaceful country due to its ability to manage electoral disputes. However, the role of peacebuilding institutions such as the National Peace Council (NPC) is often overlooked in all the analysis. Using documentary sources, this paper analyzed the petitions of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), the Electoral Commission of Ghana (EC) and the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) before the Supreme Court of Ghana; the content of the speeches delivered at the Kumasi Peace Accord; the National Peace Council Act 2011 (Act 818), and selected literature on infrastructure for peace to appraise the role of the NPC in promoting peaceful election in the year 2012 in Ghana. The paper examined the NPC role in election 2012 on different phases: pre-election phase, Election Day phase and post-election phase. In the analysis of these events, the over-riding objectives remain appraising the NPC as a proactive peacebuilding institution. An examination of the potential challenges of the NPC is in regard to pointing out, indirectly, the nature of support it needs to be able to work effectively. The paper recommends that since election remains the source of conflict in Africa and also conflicts being the bane of development in the continent, the feasibility of establishing a continental-level peace infrastructure will not be a misplaced idea.