The U.S. State Department announced on Monday that it will restrict visas for individuals deemed responsible for undermining democracy in Ghana. This decision comes ahead of the presidential and parliamentary elections scheduled for December 7.
Ghana has enjoyed nearly two decades of peaceful, free, and fair elections. However, recent allegations of voter roll irregularities have raised concerns about a potential democratic decline.
This upcoming election will mark the ninth consecutive general election since Ghana returned to multi-party democracy in 1992. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken emphasized that the visa restrictions will target those “who undermine democracy,” not the Ghanaian government or its citizens.
Last month, the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Ghana’s largest opposition party, staged nationwide protests demanding an audit of the voter roll, claiming to have uncovered thousands of unauthorized transfers and removals of voter names.
Incumbent President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is stepping down after his second and final term. Thirteen candidates have been approved for the presidential race, but analysts predict a two-man competition between former President John Dramani Mahama and Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia.