US warns of visa restrictions for people who undermine Ghana's democracy

The U.S. State Department has warned that it would restrict U.S. visas for peopled deemed to person undermined Ghana’s democracy, up of nan West African country’s wide predetermination successful December

ACCRA, Ghana -- The U.S. State Department warned Monday that it would restrict U.S. visas for peopled deemed to person undermined Ghana's democracy, up of nan West African country’s wide predetermination successful December.

Ghana has held peaceful, free, adjacent and transparent elections for astir 2 decades. The statesmanlike and parliamentary elections will beryllium held concurrently connected Dec. 7. It will beryllium nan ninth consecutive wide predetermination since nan country’s return to multi-party populist successful 1992.

But allegations of elector rotation irregularities this twelvemonth person created concerns astir a imaginable antiauthoritarian backslide.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was quoted arsenic saying successful a connection that nan visa argumentation announced Monday would beryllium directed only astatine group “who undermine democracy” and not astatine nan authorities aliases group of Ghana.

Last month, Ghana’s biggest guidance party, nan National Democratic Congress, aliases NDC, held nationwide protests demanding an audit of nan elector roll, alleging it detected thousands of unauthorized transfers and erasures of elector names.

Current President Akufo-Addo is stepping down this twelvemonth aft his 2nd and last four-year term. Former President John Dramani Mahama of nan NDC, who mislaid successful nan 2016 and 2020 elections, will look disconnected pinch Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia of nan New Patriotic Party successful this year’s election.

Last year, nan U.S. State Department announced a akin constabulary of visa restrictions up of nan Nigerian wide election, restricting introduction to group “believed to beryllium responsible for, aliases complicit in, undermining populist successful Nigeria.”