Fitch Solutions, a leading research and data firm, forecasts a decisive defeat for the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) by the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) in Ghana’s upcoming December 7 elections.
The London-based firm has maintained this prediction for over a year, citing surveys that show 54 percent of respondents favoring NDC’s John Mahama for the presidency.
Mike Kruiniger, Associate Director of Country Risk at Fitch Solutions, pointed out that Ghana’s current economic challenges will significantly impact voter decisions.
“We believe that the opposition NDC has a stronger chance of winning the upcoming general elections compared to the ruling NPP. Recent polls consistently place the NDC ahead with the most recent survey showing 54% of respondents favoring the NDC,” Kruiniger stated during the Mid-Year Review for Sub-Saharan Africa.
Economic management and job creation are expected to be pivotal issues in this election.
“Multiple surveys have shown that economic management and job creation are going to be the most important issues during the election for voters, which we believe will put the ruling NPP at a disadvantage given the economic challenges that the country has faced over the last couple of years,” Kruiniger added.
Despite a potential change in government, Kruiniger predicts that the policy direction will remain largely unchanged under an NDC administration.
“The NDC will most likely stick to Ghana’s IMF programme particularly as the party has shown commitment in the past to international agreements and obligations.
So in summary, we expect policy continuation in Ghana despite a likely government change,” he emphasized.
