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Consolidating democracy? The structural underpinnings of Ghana's 2000 elections

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 November 2002

Daniel A. Smith
Daniel A. Smith
Affiliation:
Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Denver, and Visiting Scholar at the University of Florida (2001–02). Research was made possible through a 2000–01 Senior Fulbright Scholar grant. The author would like to thank the Department of Political Science at the University of Ghana, Legon and the Centre for Democratic Development, Accra for their warm hospitality. Critical feedback on the article was provided by Baffour Agyeman-Duah, Hubert Akumiah, Joseph Ayee, Brenda Chalfin, E. Gyimah-Boadi, John Larvie, Franklin Oduro, Michael Oquaye, H. Kwesi Prempah, Ian Rose, Edem Selormey, Jon Temin, and the anonymous reviewers for JMAS. Data were generously made available by the Coalition of Domestic Election Observers and the Ghana Electoral Commission. An earlier version was presented at the African Studies Association 2001 meetings and published as a Centre for Democratic Development ‘Critical Perspectives’ working paper.
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Abstract

In 2000, Ghana's landmark elections ushered in a new era of democracy. Scholars, however, have yet to scrutinise the structural underpinnings of the country's electoral system. This article offers a detailed assessment of Ghana's bloated voters' register, patterns of voter turnout and the lingering accusation of electoral irregularities in the Volta and Ashanti Regions in the 2000 elections. Most significantly, it critically analyses the severe malapportionment of the country's 200 parliamentary seats. While the 2000 elections helped to consolidate the democratic process in Ghana, structural inequalities continue to plague the country's electoral system.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of Modern African Studies , Volume 40 , Issue 4 , December 2002 , pp. 621 - 650
Copyright
© 2002 Cambridge University Press

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