Election outcome in Ghana seen as victory for country's independent news media

By Jerelyn Eddings
freedomforum.org

01.10.01

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Jerelyn Eddings and John Kufuor

ACCRA, Ghana — The election of John Kufuor late last month as Ghana's president has been widely hailed here as a triumph for democracy — as well as a victory for the country's often-assertive independent news media.

The non-official Ghanaian press had sparred frequently with Jerry J. Rawlings, a former flight lieutenant who had dominated the country's political life since the late 1970s. Rawlings, who twice seized power in military coups, also was twice elected Ghana's president. He was barred by the country's constitution from seeking a third term, however.

His would-be heir, John Atta Mills, lost to Kufuor in a runoff election Dec. 28. Kufuor's inauguration Jan. 7 marked the first time political power had been transferred peacefully since Ghana won independence from Britain in 1957.

The country's independent newspapers — which include the Ghanaian Chronicle, the Independent, and the Ghanaian Voice — had backed Kufuor's candidacy, and the presidential campaign was a staple on privately owned radio stations. Election-related issues frequently were topics of talk radio programs, which have become quite popular in Ghana.

Kufuor's inauguration was greeted by Ghana's newspapers with huge banner headlines that declared: "New Era Dawns," "Hail the President" and "Kufuor takes over from J.J.," a reference to Rawlings' initials and nickname.

The Ghanaian Chronicle noted in its online edition the day after Kufuor's inauguration that "the many skeptics and apostles of doom who have always claimed that former President Jerry John Rawlings will never hand over [power] ... were put to shame and the day was a resounding success."

The Chronicle also asserted: "By changing a government through the ballot box, we have sent a message to our sister African countries that we have come of age in our quest for nationhood."

Such an outcome is rare but not unheard of in West Africa. Ten months ago, voters in Senegal repudiated the long-serving incumbent president, Abdou Diouf. In that election, independent radio stations reported promptly on vote counts — timely coverage that was seen as vital to ensuring a reliable and honest outcome.

A pivotal moment in Ghana's presidential election came Sept. 27, when Mills, then the vice president, declined to attend a presidential debate in Accra, which was sponsored by The Freedom Forum, the Ghana Journalists' Association and the Ghana Broadcasting Corp.

"The Mills campaign never seemed to recover from that miscalculation," said Kabral Blay-Amihere, editor of the Independent newspaper in Accra and president of the West Africa Journalists' Association. "People saw them as arrogant and distant."

During the September debate, Kufuor, who was runner-up to Rawlings in elections in 1996, called a free flow of information "critical" to Ghana's emerging democracy and criticized the government's use of criminal libel laws. Kufuor also said that the news media must be "responsible."

At his inauguration, Kufuor pledged to build a stronger Ghana by tackling the poverty and economic decline that have plagued his country. He called on international friends to help his government meet economic and other challenges that "are likely to put a strain on our people's belief in and enthusiasm for the democratic process and its slow and painstaking methods."