Ghana: Economic Intelligence Unit predicts another convincing election victory for NPP

Ghana's Economic Intelligence Unit has yet again predicted victory for the opposition New Patriotic Party in the 2016 elections. The unit in April released a report of a survey that suggested the NPP would win the upcoming elections by a close margin. But according to a new report released, in July 14, the presidential and parliamentary elections in November or December is likely to be acrimonious but the NPP will turn out victors with a convincing margin. The report says the discontent over adverse economic conditions in the country is likely to cost the ruling party the elections in November or December.

The report comes at a time the country is still reeling under a four-year-old power crisis which has affected businesses and led to loss of lives and jobs. The combined effect of an increase in taxes, utility prices have all the more made the cost of living high for many Ghanaians.

The EIU says "pre-election spending in 2016 will put pressure on the fiscal deficit target set in conjunction with the IMF, although the government will be more successful at resisting large-scale populist spending than in previous election years."

Threats of violence The report minced no words about the possibility of violence in the upcoming elections. It said the elections will expose Ghana to notable risks, some of which will come from outside.

With the reports of corruption in the country's Judiciary and the experiences in the 2012 election petition, the report suggests none of the parties will be interested in going to the Supreme Court to challenge the verdict of the election, a situation that has raised political tensions a notch higher.