Special voting does not ensure D-Day peace, argues Fifi Kwetey of the NDC.

Fifi Fiafvi Kwetey, the general secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has issued a warning against drawing hasty conclusions about how Election Day will play out based on how well Ghana's special voting went. He emphasized the contrast between the calm setting of special voting and the frequently tense general election atmosphere when speaking on Joy News on Monday, December 2. The MP for Ketu South stated, "in general, the reports we have kept an eye on—and which our agents and executives in the various locations where it took place have also confirmed—show that the exercise went on smoothly."

He went on to say, "There was no violence or anything that would be considered a blatant abuse of the process." Fifi Kwetey praised the special voting exercise's relative calmness but said it is not a reliable indicator of the dynamics of Election Day in the past. "The special voting was never a problem, not even in earlier elections. The special voting, which took place about a week early in 2016, was probably not a problem. He recalled the violent episodes that plagued the general election that year and remarked, "But a week later, you saw what happened—eight people died on the day." According to Mr. Kwetey, the atmosphere is very different on election day because of the stakes.

"It's even worse on D-Day; people get much more desperate. They believe that this is a matter of life or death. Things frequently get more challenging at that point," he said. When comparing special voting to general elections, Fifi Kwetey noted that the former's more efficient structure lowers the likelihood of anarchy. "There is a lot more convenience with special voting because there is only one center in each polling location. "People feel that the major voting itself is not yet here, so there isn't that desperation," he said.

Notwithstanding his prudence, Fifi Kwetey saw the significance of the peaceful special voting procedure as encouraging. "So far, it's good—it's nice. "The reports indicate that everything went smoothly," he acknowledged, before restating his caution: "However, as I mentioned, prior elections demonstrated the same for special voting, so I wouldn't draw too many conclusions." The high stakes and hostile atmosphere that frequently accompany Ghana's national elections are highlighted by his remarks. Fifi Fiavi Kwetey's also shows that the NDC is cognizant of the difficulties that could arise on election day and is focused on being vigilant to guarantee a peaceful and equitable election process.