In 2008, Ghana returns to the polls under the weight of great national and international expectation. Military coups and suspect elections on the continent becoming commonplace, Ghana was to be the beacon of democracy that the region and its pro-democracy activists could look to. Two-term incumbent, John Kuffour, is stepping aside and his place is to be taken by either the Conserative NPP's Nana Akufo-Addo or the Liberal NDC's Professor John Atta Mills. Both politicians outline their hopes for a fair and peaceful election.Formerly the 'Gold Coast' under British colonial rule, Ghana had been the first West African country to claim independence, in 1957. Since then, it has suffered through a series of tumultuous political periods, numbering three military coups and four republics; however, from 1992 it has slowly but surely developed a cohesive political system and consistent, if not extraordinary, national growth. Nevertheless, it's people are not content. Channelling the modern complaint used by citizens of democracy the world over, the Ghanaians remain suspicious of the political pandering of their representatives, promising a great deal but always failing to act once elected. Ghanaian: 'None of the parties are offering a paradigm shift. All parties offering to do the same thing, but some offer to do it better than others'.It is the universality of the issues and complaints found in this documentary that offers hope, not just to Ghana, but to the continent as a whole. The two main parties in Ghana, the NDC and the NPP, are far from polarized - at one point we cut back and forth between party rallies to see both candidates making almost identical pledges relating to security and food production - and this is mirrored in the issues that continually crop up in interviews with ordinary Ghanaians, regardless of their political affiliations. Top of this list is a desire for peaceful elections; when the ballet boxes are counted, the locals insist on surrounding officials and count the ballets out loud. It is raw democracy, and it's very powerful.Former President Jerry Rawlings: 'I know what a pack of thieves the NPP are. You need to protect the sanctity of the ballot box as you would protect your mother, your wife, your children'.Nevertheless, Ghana does not operate as a bubble; this is still Africa. Fears of fraudulent activity and party intimidation are ever-present; a delay in the announcement of results after the first round of voting leads to both parties bringing their supporters out onto the street, provoking the army to intervene and clashes to erupt. It takes a calm and composed response from the Ghanaian Electoral Commission to re-assert the rule of law and ensure a transfer of power is eventually accomplished without major incident. Such kinks in the process grant Ghana's election a real authenticity. As an example to its neighbours on the continent, its imperfection should be a inspiration - democracy is built over a period of time, not erected out of a box. The US have shown that however strong your democratic institutions may be (and that is perhaps the only thing both parties there do agree on), elections are still complex and emotive events to manage. Yet, Ghana and its Electoral Commission know that with each successive attempt, both they and the public at large will develop a confidence and trust in the processes put in place.NDC Spokeswoman: 'I want my children not to be ashamed of being African, because Africa is always looked at as a basket case'.'An African Election' is a TBC; in a way, it will never be completed. Yet, with each subsequent free and fair election, with each runner-up or incumbent who accepts with grace the will of his people, Africa will go closer to becoming the peaceful and prosperous region it deserves to be.Concluding Thought: Former President Jerry Rawlings is one serious orator.

'An African Election' is the new, fascinating documentary about the Ghana Presidential election of 2008. From watching this film, one realizes that Ghana is one of the most progressive, democratic nations in all of Africa in contrast to such troubled places as Zimbabwe, which has been wracked by despotism and authoritarian rule. If you believe our own presidential elections in the US are contentious, take a look at Ghana where the vote is split almost right down the middle. Even more impressive is the enthusiasm the populace has for the election process, with each side campaigning with great abandon, often in a carnival-like atmosphere, for each of their candidates.The Ghana 2008 election, like the US, mainly came down to a contest between the two main political parties, the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the opposition, the National Democratic Congress (NDC). NDC took over the country in 1992 through a military coup and was headed by Jerry Rawlings from 1992 to 2000, now an elder statesman who's seen politicking for the NDC candidate, Professor John Evans Atta Mills. The NPP was in power from 2000 to 2008 and have now put a new candidate up, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, to maintain the party's position in power.The NDC is the more left-leaning party with Jerry Rawlings articulating his vision of a world now separated between the haves and have-nots. Afufo-Addo appears to represent the NPP as the more conservative group, portraying the NDC as "incompetent." Truth be told, both parties appear to have similar platforms: end poverty and bring Ghana 'into the modern age'.The 2008 election turns out to be a true thriller when neither party acquires a 50 percent majority and a run-off election must be held. Leading up to the run-off, incidents of violence and unrest are shown, as the passions between the two groups explode. But for the most part, much of the conflict doesn't turn physical—there is much trash talk, with threats to 'take down' the entire country, which never materialize. One of the NDC campaign managers in particular is seen issuing 'threats', after his party's fortunes are reversed temporarily, during the initial vote. But when the tide is turned in his party's favor, of course all calls for recrimination, become a thing of the past.The run-off is finally decided after the Election Commission declares that due to irregularities in the voting in a remote, rural province, the vote in that area has to be done over again. Since the majority in that constituency favor Professor Mills, when the results of the do-ever are compiled, the NDC is declared a decisive winner. Perhaps the true hero of the 2008 election is the head of the Ghana Election Commission who manages to remain cool in the face of all the hot-heads who can't control their passions during the shifting fortunes of the two parties during the election process. While the voting is done by hand, the Commission does admirable work in collating the results and fairly assessing the true outcome.While 'An African Election' is a superb chronicle of a historical event, the documentary disturbingly questions the 'relevance' and impact of politics in general. A telling interview with an ordinary farmer, who mournfully complains that neither party will have an effect on his day to day life, which is mired in poverty, only goes to show that elections are of much more benefit to the politicians, than any of their beleaguered constituency.

As you can accurately surmise from its title, Jarreth Merz's documentary, "An African Election," is indeed about politics, but it's also about a whole lot more.The movie focuses on the most recent presidential election in Ghana, the same year, of course, in which Barack Obama was elected president of the United States (and please, anyone tempted to make a comment about us having an "African election" in this country in 2008, keep it to your friggin' self!).The more accurate parallel to draw, however, is with the 2000 election of George W. Bush, because the Ghana race chronicled with verve here is a very tight one, and the words that come to mind most often as you watch it unfold are "chaos" and "passion." And that passion really doesn't seem to be for the candidates themselves, in a two-party race in which they seem to be interchangeable. Ideology, in fact, rarely enters into the picture in the race between Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) and John Evans Atta Mills of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) party.What Ghanians are clearly passionate about, however, is democracy itself, which is still a relatively new concept in the country and one that is cherished (as Merz pointed out in the post-film Q&A, nearly 80 percent of eligible Ghanians voted in the election.) And just how fresh and fragile democracy itself is in Ghana is reinforced by the presence of Jerry John Rawlings, a military commander who took over the country in a coup in 1981 and later founded the NDC and was twice elected as Ghana's president starting in 1992. The throngs that this African "lion" (as Mertz described him) draws on the campaign trail are as impressive as they are seemingly on the brink of combustion at any minute.The most impressive aspect of Merz's movie is his access to all the key players in what, if you like political movies as much as I do, really plays out as a thriller, with not just who will win the race but whether the election itself will succeed or descend into a violent nightmare looming questions until the very end. The passions that rule in the "strong room" (you really have to see it to believe it) are all laid out raw, and in the chaos of counting and recounting, charges and counter charges of fraud, it is very reminiscent of what happened in the U.S. in 2000 in Florida.Keith Demko http://reelfanatic.blogspot.com

Not so much about the particular party politics as it is about the pride of Ghana. Abolishes media induced stereotypes and gives a true picture and feel of an election and life in an African country. More important than the outcome of the dramatically close election is the necessity to prove to the world and even more than that to set the foundation for Ghana pride through the upholding of the solid legitimacy of the election. We don't know how the election will turn out and that is exciting but even more so we root for a peaceful democratic election that may seem questionable based on media induced notions. It proves to the world influenced by the media, who plagues Africa with the stereotypical political corruption and anarchy, how solid, serious and legitimate the process is and how far Ghana and Africa have come. A multi stepped detailed process entailing the upholding of the constitution, the hard work of the neutral election committee and the people's heart and soul lining up to place their ballots with zeal. All to ensure Ghana elects the rightful leader and upholds democracy as well as any nation on the globe could. Riveting and intense the close election and the outcome make an unpredictable edge of your seat thriller that not only entertains but informs. We learn about party politics (not so much the individual politics of Ghana's leaders rather more general notions of partisan politics), we are exposed to an interesting gueveraesque revolutionary history with charismatic leaders that has not been overly delved into and is probably not that well known by most westerners and we get a life on the streets feel where we arm chair travel so that we briefly feel and witness the country, the people and the continent. The rapid shots were intense but a slower passed editing style is more favorable to absorb some of the scenes and more fully transport to Ghana. The access to both the top leaders and the election committee will amaze. It is probably the closest any filmmaker has gotten to both opposing party leaders at that highest level. A great documentary!