Managing Election- Relation Violence for Democratic Stability in Ghana Defence Council(PNDC) regime gave way to constitutional rule in the early 1990s. Central to this development has been the regular conduct of national elections, which have resulted in peaceful alternations of power between the two dominant political parties- the National Democratic Congress(NDC) and the New Patriotic Party(NPP). These electoral successes and the peaceful turnovers arising from them have taken place alongside, and within, a bourgeoning institutional context and a broader political terrain that is highly accommodative of a vibrant media and a critical civil society (Gyimah-Boadi, 2009; Whitfield, 2009) Second, despite the critical role it plays in the consolidation of democracy, elections in Ghana are invariably plagued by localized violence that threatens the peace, security and stability of the country. Confined though, these acts of violence have accompanied every election at least under the Fourth Republic. They usually occur before, during and after elections, and are characterized by threats, intimidation, physical assault, vandalization of electoral materials, as well as the use of hate speeches and incendiary language. Election-related violence is routinely employed by the political class as an operational strategy or counter strategy to obtain electoral advantage. Often, individuals or groups of party supporters pursuing diverging agenda resort to violence to promote a multiplicity of interests which may include material reward or appointments to political office. There have been many cases in recent times where particular clients, mainly the youth, have threatened and actually used violence against their patron(s) for failing to perform their side of the bargain after the former had sacrificed time, resources, life and limb to ensure access by the patron to political 24