/ 9 December 2008

Early count shows close contest in Ghana vote

Partial unofficial results showed a neck-and-neck race on Monday in Ghana as votes were counted after general elections held up as a shining example for the rest of Africa.

Nana Akufo-Addo of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) held a slight lead, according to partial unofficial results released by local independent television and radio stations.

Based on results from 124 of the 230 constituencies, Joy-FM said Akufo-Addo had garnered 50,26% against John Atta-Mills’s 46,81% of votes cast.

The lead, however, had switched from one side to the other as the results came in from their respective strongholds in this country of 23-million people.

Given the results so far, pollsters say the election is still too close to call and could even go to a run-off.

Mills, though, insisted he was leading — and his party chairperson also raised the spectre of vote tampering, although there was no evidence to support his claim.

”I’m doing well, I’m leading,” Mills said. ”I have more than 50% of the votes so far. Certainly we are far ahead.

”I’m confident we are going to win in the first round,” he said as his aides alleged ballot tampering.

”Some of the results have been collated, then suddenly some ballot boxes appear. So we suspect foul play,” party chairperson Kwabena Adjei told reporters.

Seven presidential aspirants were in the race to succeed John Kufuor, who stands down early January after serving the maximum two four-year terms.

Provisional results should be released within three days, with a possible second round scheduled for December 28 if no candidate gets more than 50% of votes.

The major contest is between Kufuor’s ruling NPP and the opposition NDC of fiery former ruler Jerry Rawlings, who held power until the 2000 elections.

The former British colony, which was the first African state to gain its independence in 1957, was plagued by coups until the return to multiparty democracy in 1992.

Sunday’s vote appeared free of the intimidation and violence that have marred other recent African polls, according to local and international observers.

In its assessment of the vote, regional bloc the Economic Community for West African States (Ecowas) said the elections in Ghana ”have the potential to redeem the image of democracy and the rule of law” in Africa.

”Ghana has set another example in the art of electoral administration and maturity in building an enduring democracy,” said Ecowas.

Former Nigerian leader General Yakubu Gowon, who was heading the Ecowas team of observers, described the polls as ”excellent.”

”You cannot try to compare these elections to any other on the continent except South Africa,” Gowon said.

Violence and allegations of fraud have dogged a series of recent elections in Africa.

At least 1 500 people died in violence that swept Kenya in the wake of disputed elections there last December while the opposition leader pulled out of a run-off in June in Zimbabwe after scores of his supporters were killed.

At least 200 people were also killed last month in the central Nigerian city of Jos following clashes over the result of a local election.

A coalition of local observers that deployed about 4 000 poll watchers also gave the election a clean bill of health.

Once economically stagnant, Ghana has enjoyed steady growth in recent years and the next president will be able to tap into oil revenues when the country starts pumping crude in 2010 offshore near the port of Takoradi.

Ghana’s oil is set to upstage the gold, cocoa and timber exports it has relied on to date. — AFP

 

AFP