Jarreth Merz’s Movie : An African Election

ADDRESSING THE FLAWS OF ORGANIZING ELECTIONS IN AFRICA By Ben Ofosu Appiah

After watching Jarreth Merz’s internationally acclaimed movie, An African Election, and all the commentary and interviews about it, I realized how close we were to violence in 2008 presidential and parliamentary elections. One interview that caught my attention was the one conducted by Paul Adom Otchere of Metro TV. The interviewer made a lot out of having cameras in the EC strong room and I ask myself: What’s the fuss about having cameras in the EC strong room?

Jarreth Merz did a great job by filming the EC strong room during the 2008 elections for his acclaimed movie; “An African Election”.

Critical News, 8th August 2010

Finally, NDC put the STX deal to bed.  Came at the expense of the Ghanaian voters, who put the NPP parliamentarians in office to debate issues on their behalf, only to find that they walk out of most critical discussions.  The NPP “honourables” have still not got the tactic of filibustering an issue and allowing time to work with them.  They walked out of the final debate in parliament because they could not meet the Speaker’s one hour imposition for final review of the housing deal.  Poor show, they can do better in my opinion!  Now the contract has been passed and all we have to do is wait to see how Government proceeds to build the 30,000 houses for security personnel.  All they could do was wish the Koreans “good luck with this one”

Campaign 2008

NDC CAPTURES PRESIDENCY, NPP RETAINS PARLIAMENT

This will be the likely outcome of the 2008 General Elections in GHANA if it is free and fair according to my research. While many dread such an outcome. I am all for it. Why? Because I think that will be the best thing ever happened to our democracy. It will strengthen Parliament to play its critical role in Nation building. The current Parliament is too weak to play any effective role in national development. It has abandoned its role as a check on Executive power. It is not performing its role of being the controller of the purse rather it exist to just rubber stamp Executive acts without any critical examination and debate. It fails to check abuses, it does not invite Ministers to Parliament for hearings, and has no power to act when people like Wereko Brobbey treat the house with contempt. A parliament controlled by the opposition is our surest bet in reducing governmental corruption.        My conviction of the outcome of the 2008 general elections is based on the fact that the advantage enjoyed by the NPP in the last presidential elections has been eroded by failure of government to honour its promises, rise in poverty, the energy crisis, armed robbers terrorising people, large army of unemployed youth who the NPP led government has failed to create jobs for. Ben Ofosu -Appiah, Political Analyst