IntroductionThe term, democracy which is derived from two Greek words, 'demos', meaning people and 'kratein' meaning to govern or to rule is steep in history; tracing its roots to the ancient Greek City-States in the Fifth Century BC. In literal terms, democracy encompasses the rule of the people by the people themselves and it is a government of the majority (Khan, 2005). In a similar vein, Abraham Lincoln defines democracy as, "…. a government of the people, by the people and for the people". Furthermore, as Becker (Khan, 2005) strongly posits, democracy entails a government of the people and one that is composed by the majority. In its widest meaning, therefore, the term democracy, refers to a system of governance in which rulers are held accountable for their actions within the public realm, by the indirect action of citizens and through the cooperation of their elected representatives (Dahl, 1971; Friedrich, 1968).In essence therefore, the term that is linked with the best practices of constitutional rule and good governance in modern times, refers to a system of government wherein; supreme power of a state is vested in the citizens that can either be exercised directly by themselves or indirectly through representatives that are elected or appointed by the citizens. Thus, the concepts of democracy and good governance have come to be the basic requirements for sustainable development worldwide (Grindle, 2004;Khan, 2005). The concept though, goes beyond a set of constitutional rules and procedures that determine how a government functions, since government, is only a subset of the democratic society that contains other elements such as complex institutions, political parties, organizations and associations. It is an undeniable fact that, democratic governance enhances transparency, accountability, rule of law, adherence to fundamental human

The study sought to establish respondents’ views on the attitude of health care providers, perceptions of the quality of medical services provided and indications on the future use of CHPS compound in the Wassa-Amenfi West District. The study employed the cross-sectional survey design within the quantitative research paradigm. Questionnaire was administered to one hundred and fifty community members and analysis was done through frequencies and percentages. The study concluded that respondents had positive views on the attitude of health service providers in the CHPS compound. They were also satisfied with the quality of service delivery at the CHPS compound. Respondents were willing to visit and recommend family members and friends to the facility in the future to access healthcare. It was therefore recommended that medicines and health information should be made available at the compound to enhance quality health delivery at the grass root.

Indigenous approaches to conflicts resolution in African societies provide appropriate fora and opportunities for members of the societies to process their disputes when they do arise. The indigenous approaches are structured and rooted on cultures and traditions of the societies in which they are applied. The Talensi traditional area has its indigenous approach based on its culture and tradition as well. However, there are concerns with regards to how indigenous approaches to conflict resolution recognize and respect the human rights of persons involved in the process. This paper examined how the Talensi indigenous conflict resolution approach recognizes and respects the human rights of the disputants. It was a qualitative research which employed the case study design. Two chiefs, three elders to chiefs’ councils and five disputants were purposively and conveniently selected as sample for the study. The instruments in terms of interview, focused group discussion and observation were used to gather data for the study. It emerged from the study that the various considered human rights (rights to life, non-discrimination, freedom of religion and belief and prohibition of torture and other ill-treatment) of disputants were recognized and respected to a large extent under the Talensi indigenous approach to conflict resolution. It was, therefore, recommended that the approach is replicated in other rural societies in Ghana so as to ensure the recognition and respect for disputants rights as many people in rural Ghana practically rely on indigenous approaches to process their disputes.

Harmonious living is an essential ingredient for the progress of every society. This requires that conflicts which are a natural part of human life are amicably resolved when they arise. Largely, people have the options of resorting to the statuary courts system or indigenous approaches which are rooted in the customs and traditions of societies for the resolution of conflicts. This study examined the indigenous conflict resolution, peace-building and human rights among the Nabdam of Ghana using the descriptive design within the qualitative research paradigm. It involved thirty persons from the area consisting chiefs, elders, and individuals who have employed the approach in resolving their disputes. The instruments of interview, focused group discussion, and observation were deployed to gather data for the respondents. It emerged from the study that the Nabdam indigenous approach to conflicts resolution has four stages which are structured and followed to achieve peace-building and the recognition of human rights of persons involved in the process. It was therefore considered important for the indigenous approach to be strengthened and promoted by the government of Ghana in all societies in the country so as to achieve peace-building. It also emerged from the study that the Nabdam indigenous conflict resolution approach has no formal place for the involvement of women in its administration even though they were found to be effective in managing disputes especially those involving women. It was therefore concluded that women should be formally involved in the application of the approach.

Purpose: Globally, and most especially in Africa, researchers seem not to have sufficiently explained the underlying factors that influence electorates’ choices. Thus, studies often reveal a myriad of factors that determine this behavior of voters. While some scholars posit rationality as the underlying factor, others suggest idiosyncratic factors in that regard. These conflicting positions indicate that the motivation of electorates’ choices is multifaceted. In Ghana, few studies have investigated the phenomenon in the Northern part of the country. This study, therefore, explored the phenomenon with regard to elections in the Kumbungu Constituency of Northern Ghana. Methodology: Underpinned by the three dominant theories; the sociological model, the psychological model and the rational-choice theory, the study employed an explanatory sequential mixed-method design to gather data thereof. A combination of purposive sampling methods was employed to select information rich cases. The selection of the study region and constituency was based on critical case sampling. Purposeful random sampling was used to select respondents for the survey and interviews. A total of 164 respondents were randomly selected for the survey. Ten key informant interviews were also conducted. Qualitative data were analysed using content and thematic analysis. Quantitative data were analyzed using Predictive Analytic Software by employing descriptive statistics and regression.   Findings: The findings indicate that the voting behavior of electorates are not primarily influenced by stable and distinctive factors, such as ethnic or regional ties, but rather the electorate make voting decisions based on conscious evaluation of government performance, economic conditions, and campaign issues. Also, the developmental impact of government programs, ethnicity and ideological leaning of voters do play a role. Therefore, politicians need to heed this in their effort to win the hearts of voters. Unique Contribution and Recommendation: This study recommends that ruling political parties should always endeavor to promote and foster policies and programs that improve the living standards of the Ghanaian electorates if they desire to retain and cling on to political power.