Never waste your vote on the smaller political parties

When seventeen political parties and individuals filed nomination to contest the presidential race in the upcoming elections, I wrote an article and suggested that the number be pruned down to a manageable level.

Even though the number indeed has been pruned down to twelve, I still think it's on the higher side. Six or even less would have been more manageable.

In as much as I would not want to see one or two parties monopolizing the political space, I wish to see a situation where all the parties play it seriously. Unfortunately, that is not the case.

It is more than obvious that some of the political parties are not serious and that voting for them will be a sheer waste of time and can only help to take the election to a second round.

In all democracies around the world over time two political parties emerge dominant and create a system of defacto two-party state. Indeed that is the situation in countries like the USA, UK, Germany, France, Australia and what have you even though other smaller parties do exist. Ghana's experience is no different.

What is worrying is that while in a country like the USA or UK, smaller parties are not able to take elections to the second round, the same cannot be said of Ghana.

In the years 2000 and 2008, the smaller parties were able to take the election to pulsating second rounds.

Due to the tension often associated with second round elections, I always wish we avoid them altogether. And the surest way to avoid them is to vote for one or the other of the two major parties so that one of them can win one touch.