Election 2024: IMANI criticizes the promises in political parties’ manifestos

The IMANI Centre for Policy and Education has raised concerns over the content of the 2024 election manifestos released by Ghana’s leading political parties, including the New Patriotic Party (NPP), the National Democratic Congress (NDC), and the Movement for Change.

According to the policy think tank, many of the promises laid out lack specificity, measurability, and actionable details, posing significant challenges for accountability and implementation.

Dennis Asare, a Senior Research Associate at IMANI, highlighted the difficulties associated with the manifestos of all three major parties, noting that their proposals are often broad and difficult to quantify.

“In each party, you see a lot more non-quantifiable promises,” Asare explained. “Most of the manifesto pledges are big, but you can’t quantify them or clearly identify the specific services they should deliver.

“This makes it difficult to hold them accountable if they’re elected. It’s also hard to understand the cost implications and how they will implement these promises,” he said.

Asare further emphasized that the lack of clarity in party manifestos could lead to ineffective monitoring and procurement processes, a recurring issue in past governments.

He urged voters to critically evaluate the feasibility of campaign promises, especially given the unique economic and social challenges facing the country.