Publication

This report examines Ghana's 2008 election and the successful transfer of power from the incumbent New Patriotic Party to the opposition forces of the National Democratic Congress. Although the author notes that there remain numerous challenges requiring the new leadership's continuous attention, three principal factors allowed for a successful power alternation in Ghana: namely, President John Kufuor's decision to uphold the constitutional term limit; the respect shown by social and political actors to the democratic consensus; and an efficient national electoral machinery. The report concludes with lessons learned from the Ghanaian case.