Can Election Settle a Political Contest Devoid of a Political Compromise? The Ghanaian Experience

The seminar concludes that elections are not isolated events but part of a broader body polity, meaning their effectiveness in preventing conflict depends on the surrounding political culture and context. Using Ghana as a reference point, the discussion highlights that presidential elections in Africa often become zero-sum games because control of the presidency equates to control over a country's political and economic future. To mitigate this, the report suggests distributing power across state institutions and ensuring the impartiality and professionalism of Electoral Commissions. Key recommendations for managing electoral processes include grounding the process in citizen ownership, ensuring timely release of results, and fostering a culture of conceding defeat to build political compromise.

• Elections cannot be viewed as isolated events for conflict prevention; their impact is dependent on the political culture and context, creating a symbiotic relationship where sound electoral processes enhance democracy and democracy facilitates free and fair elections.
• Presidential elections in Africa are increasingly contentious and viewed as zero-sum games because the presidency grants control over the state's political and economic future, a trend evidenced by conflicts in Kenya and Zimbabwe.
• The Ghanaian election serves as a significant case study for good practice because it maintained stability despite a very small margin between candidates and the increased stakes associated with the recent discovery of oil.
• Effective electoral management requires an impartial Electoral Commission with independence ensured through professional conduct and job security, as well as the decentralization of the electoral process.
• The practice of conceding defeat is identified as a key mechanism for establishing a culture of compromise, integrity, and credibility within the electoral process.

APA

Institute for Security Studies (2009). Can Election Settle a Political Contest Devoid of a Political Compromise? The Ghanaian Experience. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/GHANAELECTSEMREP.PDF

Chicago

Institute for Security Studies. Can Election Settle a Political Contest Devoid of a Political Compromise? The Ghanaian Experience. 2009. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/GHANAELECTSEMREP.PDF.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Institute for Security Studies |title=Can Election Settle a Political Contest Devoid of a Political Compromise? The Ghanaian Experience |date=20 January 2009 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/GHANAELECTSEMREP.PDF |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{instituteforsecuritystudies2009can, author = {{Institute for Security Studies}}, title = {{Can Election Settle a Political Contest Devoid of a Political Compromise? The Ghanaian Experience}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2009}, month = jan, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/GHANAELECTSEMREP.PDF}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }