As part of the The Daily Dispatch?s continuing education of the average Ghanaian on various voting patterns, analysis and views of Presidential Candidates and aspiring Members of Parliament, we devote our lead story to an analysis of the voting patterns of the two main political parties in Ghana now, the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the main opposition party (or shadow government), the National Democratic Congress (NDC); Today?s analysis will in particular, focus on the 1996 and 2000 Presidential elections.
An interesting aspect of these two elections is that whilst the NPP fielded the same person, President John Kufour, the NDC had tow different person ? ex-President Jerry Rawlings (in 1996) and Prof John Atta Mills in 2000.
In 1996, the three regions ? Volta, Greater Accra, And Eastern accounted for 44.1% of the total votes of the NDC?s Presidential Candidate. An additional region ? Ashanti, in addition to the earlier three made up 54.1% of his votes, 64.1% of his votes was when you add a fifth region ? Western.
The Ashanti and Greater Accra regions made up 47.8% of the total votes of the NPP?s Presidential Candidate in the 1996 elections. Eastern, Ashanti and Greater Accra accounted for 61.4% of his votes. If one adds the Western to these three, it comes up to 71.6%.
President Kufuor?s voting pattern in 2000 was virtually the same. Ashanti and Greater Accra accounted for 48.7% (an increase of 0.9 over 1996): Eastern, Ashanti and greater Accra accounted for 61.7% (an increase of 0.3%) here was also an increase of between 0.2% and 71.8% in terms fo the contribution of Western, Greater Accra, Ashanti and Eastern Regions, to President Kufuor?s votes.
The voting patterns of NDC in 1996 (Rawlings) and 2000 (Mills) are also strikingly similar. Volta, Greater Accra and Eastern Regions in 2000, accounted for 44.2% of Prof. Mills? votes in (1996); Greater Accra, Volta Eastern and Northern (instead of Ashanti) represented 54.1% of Mills? votes (same percentage as (Rawlings).
Source: GhanaWeb
