According to a statement issued by the US department of state, the United States is committed to supporting and advancing democracy in Ghana and around the world.
“The Department of State is announcing a new visa restriction policy today that will restrict U.S. visas for any individual responsible for undermining democracy in Ghana. This policy will take effect in advance of Ghana’s presidential and parliamentary elections scheduled to take place December 7, 2024.” the statement read.
The statement also defined some of the offences the US views as ‘threatening’ which include “the manipulation or rigging of the electoral process; the use of violence to intimidate, coerce or prevent people from exercising their rights to freedoms of association and peaceful assembly; the use of measures designed to intimidate, coerce or prevent political party representatives, voters, or members of civil society or the media from voicing or disseminating their views; or engaging in any other activity designed to improperly influence the conduct or outcome of an election.”
The US has for decades, used Visa restrictions as a tool to punish influential individuals who may be private, or government officials and state actors who threaten democracies in several African nations from Nigeria, to Uganda, Liberia and Ghana among others.
According to the statement, the visa restriction policy only applies to certain individuals who undermine democracy and not Ghanaians as a whole of the Government of Ghana.
Ghana will be holding its presidential elections to usher in a new leader as the incumbent President, Nana Akufo-Addo will be stepping down after completing his constitutionally limited second term in office.
Major candidates on the ballot include the current vice president and the NPP standard-bearer, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia and the NDC presidential contender, John Mahama, ex-Ghana president from 2012 to 2017.
This will mark Ghana’s fifth presidential succession since the return to democratic multiparty politics in 1992.
