Accra, June 23, GNA - The Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) on Monday said the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) was suffering from popular alienation few months to the December polls.
The percentage of Ghanaians who express affiliation with the ruling party has declined from 43 percent in 2005 to 36 percent in 2008, a CDD-Ghana Afrobarometer survey conducted in March this year revealed.
Professor Emmanuel Gyimah-Boadi, Executive Director, CDD-Ghana on the other hand said on the contrary about 78 percent of Ghanaians approved of the performance of President John Agyekum Kufuor a 2 percentage points increase over 2005.
On the electoral trend, the 2008 Afrobarometer survey indicates that the NPP recorded the highest share 46 percent, followed by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) with 23 percent. The Convention People's Party (CPP) attracted just 3 percent of prospective voters and the People's National Convention (PNC), just one percent.
Prof Gyimah-Boadi however noted that the figures must be taken with great caution as about 27 percent of Ghanaians refused to disclose their voting intentions, reflecting the politically sensitive nature of the electoral environment.
He said there also appears to be a significant number of floating or undecided voters constituting about 27 percent. These floating voters are distributed as follows: Greater Accra region 45 percent, Central Region 30 percent, Brong Ahafo region 27 percent and the Northern Region 27 percent.
Prof. Gyimah-Boadi said the findings of the 2008 Afrobarometer makes it possible for Ghanaians to ascertain popular assessments of the performance of the President Kufuor and the NPP government in the nearly eight years it has been in office.
He said despite the hiccups, the NPP government received positive ratings for the overall management of the economy, delivery of health care and education services.
Sixty-nine per cent of the population positively consider NPP administration performance in the overall management of the macro economy in 2008 as positive. This represents a significant increase from 55 percent in 2005, and up slightly from 66 percent in 2002. Eighty-three per cent approved of government's efforts at delivering healthcare services representing 21 percentage points increase over the 2002 figure; education received 81 per cent an 18 percentage points increase over 2002 figure
According to the 2008 Afrobarometer survey, smaller majorities of Ghanaians rated the NPP government's performance positively in the following areas: 65 percent for protecting rivers and forests. Sixty-four percent for reducing crime; 64 percent for providing reliable electric supply; 62 percent for providing water and sanitation services; 61 percent for maintaining roads and bridges; and 56 percent for ensuring everybody has enough to eat.
The Government received 55 percent rating for its ability to fight corruption; 54 percent for creating jobs; and 50 percent for improving living standards of the poor.
On the social front the survey indicates that 42 percent of Ghanaians are unemployed and a little over half 57 percent are employed. Of those employed, 20 percent work on part-time basis. The Afrobarometer is an independent, non-partisan research instrument that measures the social, political and economic atmosphere in 20 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.
The Afrobarometer questions cover a range of opinions and attitudes on democracy, governance, livelihoods, macro-economic policy, social capital, conflict and crime, political and civic participation and national identity.
The survey was undertaken in all 20 countries within a 12-month window, and on the average, Afrobarometer surveys take place at two-to-three year intervals.
The first three rounds of Ghana Afrobarometer were conducted in May 1999, September 2002 and March 2005.
Accra, June 23, GNA - The Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) on Monday said the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) was suffering from popular alienation few months to the December polls.
The percentage of Ghanaians who express affiliation with the ruling party has declined from 43 percent in 2005 to 36 percent in 2008, a CDD-Ghana Afrobarometer survey conducted in March this year revealed.
Professor Emmanuel Gyimah-Boadi, Executive Director, CDD-Ghana on the other hand said on the contrary about 78 percent of Ghanaians approved of the performance of President John Agyekum Kufuor a 2 percentage points increase over 2005.
On the electoral trend, the 2008 Afrobarometer survey indicates that the NPP recorded the highest share 46 percent, followed by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) with 23 percent. The Convention People's Party (CPP) attracted just 3 percent of prospective voters and the People's National Convention (PNC), just one percent.
Prof Gyimah-Boadi however noted that the figures must be taken with great caution as about 27 percent of Ghanaians refused to disclose their voting intentions, reflecting the politically sensitive nature of the electoral environment.
He said there also appears to be a significant number of floating or undecided voters constituting about 27 percent. These floating voters are distributed as follows: Greater Accra region 45 percent, Central Region 30 percent, Brong Ahafo region 27 percent and the Northern Region 27 percent.
Prof. Gyimah-Boadi said the findings of the 2008 Afrobarometer makes it possible for Ghanaians to ascertain popular assessments of the performance of the President Kufuor and the NPP government in the nearly eight years it has been in office.
He said despite the hiccups, the NPP government received positive ratings for the overall management of the economy, delivery of health care and education services.
Sixty-nine per cent of the population positively consider NPP administration performance in the overall management of the macro economy in 2008 as positive. This represents a significant increase from 55 percent in 2005, and up slightly from 66 percent in 2002. Eighty-three per cent approved of government's efforts at delivering healthcare services representing 21 percentage points increase over the 2002 figure; education received 81 per cent an 18 percentage points increase over 2002 figure
According to the 2008 Afrobarometer survey, smaller majorities of Ghanaians rated the NPP government's performance positively in the following areas: 65 percent for protecting rivers and forests. Sixty-four percent for reducing crime; 64 percent for providing reliable electric supply; 62 percent for providing water and sanitation services; 61 percent for maintaining roads and bridges; and 56 percent for ensuring everybody has enough to eat.
The Government received 55 percent rating for its ability to fight corruption; 54 percent for creating jobs; and 50 percent for improving living standards of the poor.
On the social front the survey indicates that 42 percent of Ghanaians are unemployed and a little over half 57 percent are employed. Of those employed, 20 percent work on part-time basis. The Afrobarometer is an independent, non-partisan research instrument that measures the social, political and economic atmosphere in 20 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.
The Afrobarometer questions cover a range of opinions and attitudes on democracy, governance, livelihoods, macro-economic policy, social capital, conflict and crime, political and civic participation and national identity.
The survey was undertaken in all 20 countries within a 12-month window, and on the average, Afrobarometer surveys take place at two-to-three year intervals.
The first three rounds of Ghana Afrobarometer were conducted in May 1999, September 2002 and March 2005.
