The United States announced new visa restrictions on Monday for individuals it deems responsible for undermining democracy in Ghana, a measure aimed at maintaining fair practices ahead of the West African nation’s December presidential and parliamentary elections.
“This visa restriction policy will apply solely to specific individuals who have taken actions that erode democratic processes. It is not targeted at the people or government of Ghana,” said U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a statement.
December’s polls mark Ghana’s ninth general election since the country’s return to multi-party democracy in 1992. Secretary Blinken emphasized that the policy, introduced on Monday, is directed at individuals threatening democracy, rather than at the Ghanaian government or its citizens.
In recent developments, the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Ghana’s largest opposition party, held protests across the country last month, demanding an audit of the voter roll. The NDC alleged widespread unauthorized transfers and the removal of voter names from the registry.
Incumbent President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is stepping down this year after serving two terms. The Electoral Commission has approved 13 candidates to contest in the presidential race, with analysts forecasting a close competition between former President John Dramani Mahama and current Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia.
