Some Ghanaians arecomplaining that Christmas gift-giving will be undermined by campaign spendingfor the December 28 presidential runoff election.Since the initial December 7 vote, huge amounts of contributionshave been pouring into campaign coffers of the two major political partiesstill in the running and will not be spent on holiday festivities.Reporter Peter Clottey is covering thecampaign for the Voice of America from the capital Accra.He says that public sentiment is grateful the process is working, butalso hopeful it will end soon.
?Some business people are complaining thatbecause of the second round of voting, businesses will be hampered, especiallyduring the Christmas festivities because they believe that money will be pumpedinto the campaigning instead of people buying things for themselves to enjoythe Christmas festivities,? he said.
Eight political parties fielded candidates forthe first round of voting on December 7 to determine a successor for two-termincumbent John Kufuor, with all but the two leading contenders eliminated froma runoff to be held December 28.Theruling party?s Nana Akuffo-Addo narrowly missed the 50 percent margin needed toavoid a runoff.He will face oppositionleader John Atta Mills, who won nearly 48 percent of the vote.Reporter Clottey says the tight racenecessitates a new infusion of funds to sustain rallying, advertising, andstaff costs.
?The campaigns themselves have to raise money,just like in the US.They organizeddinner parties, both for the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC)and the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP),? he notes.
As for financial backers of the six first-roundcandidates now eliminated, Clottey says several are hedging their bets withdonations to both the NPP and the NDC in the hope of staying eligible toreceive lucrative contracts, appointments, and political favors.The political bargaining continues as thegeneral public notices a dip in the annual holiday hustle and bustle theyanticipate for Christmas and New Years.Clottey says it usually represents big business.
?It is usually huge.Unfortunately, the electioneering campaign has slowed things downdrastically.I have been in touch withbusiness people all across the city (Accra), especially where brisk businessusually happens.I have gone to themarket and spoken to the market women and business people around, and they haveall complained about the same thing.You have people buying all the cakes and Christmas things that comealong with Christmas festivities.Andpeople are not buying them ? people who bake a lot of Christmas cakes and allthat have been complaining that their orders have sharply declined because ofthe voting.But it remains to be seenwhether it will pick up once the December runoff draws to a close,? he said.
If the runoff also were to finishin a very tight contest, Clottey suggests Ghanaians, who are looking forward tobringing in the new year in celebration, will want to expedite the process sothe country can move on.He notes thatthe more than 205-thousand first-round votes were disqualified by the country?selectoral commission in the first round.Those voters might have easily clinched a margin of victory and possiblyaverted the need for a runoff.Thisround, he suggests, voters will get another chance to resolve the deadlock thathas cut into holiday fun of a nation that usually goes all out for holidaymerriment.