Ghana: Voting ends, counting begins

  1. Posted on Sunday 28 December 2008 - 17:25
    accreporter
    Image of accreporter
    Kent Mensah, AfricaNews editor in Accra, Ghana
    Voting has ended in a generally peaceful election run-off in West Africa's peaceful nation of Ghana. Counting of ballot papers currently underway in the over 22,000 polling centres throughout the country. Turnout was not as impressive as the first round held in December 7 2008, the media reported.
    Ghana elections_Photo: Africanews
    The election itself was characterized by alleged irregularities and pockets of skirmishes in some parts of the country notably Ashaiman constituency in the industrial city of Tema, Odododiodoo in the Greater Accra region and some parts of the Ashanti and Volta regions – NPP and NDC strongholds respectively. The police and military were readily on the spot to quell violence.

    The run-off was between the ruling New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) Nana Akufo-Addo and the opposition National Democratic Congress’ (NDC) Prof. John Evans Atta-Mills. Both could not gain the constitutionally required over 50% votes in the first round. The winner of this election wins by a simple majority.

    The two major parties have issued counter press statements saying they might not accept the results in some parts of the country if the Electoral Commission does not address their claims. The NPP said its certified polling agents were refused entry to polling centres in the opposition NDC stronghold of the Volta Region. The NDC also claims the NPP has employed the services of some “machomen” (heavily built men) to intimidate its supporters in the Ashanti region.

    Teeming crowd built up at polling centres throughout Ghana, which has just discovered oil, as people came out of their homes to witness the counting.

    In the first round Nana Akufo-Addo, a former foreign minister under the Kufuor administration polled 4,159,439 representing 49.13% of total votes cast while Prof. Atta-Mills trailed him with 4,056,634 representing 47.92% of total votes cast.

Latest News

  1. OPINION: Welcome to African Green Revolution24/05For the past century and a half, Africa has tried various agricultural approaches without much success.
  2. Egyptians vote in historic election23/05Egyptians began voting freely on Wednesday for the first time to pick their president in a wide open election that pits Islamists against men who serv…
  3. Africa Day 2012 - a moment for reflection and…22/0525th May is Africa Day. For many years it has been a celebration of African unity. It dates back to 1963 when the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) …
  4. South Africa's African agenda21/05The Deputy President of the Republic of South Africa, Kgalema Mothlanthe paid a rare visit to Ghana in April at the invitation of John Dramani Mahama …
  5. Women struggle to rinse hunger, poverty stains21/05Just looking at her one clearly appreciates that she is old and frail therefore in need of support for food, clothing and shelter to live comfortably …
  6. Climate Climate change affects migratory birds…21/05Changes in the climate globally have affected the movement of both migratory and resident species of birds, Nature Uganda has said.
  7. Ghana: Foreign retailers cited for currency…18/05The Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA) is attributing the sharp depreciation of the Ghana cedi against major currencies to the illegal activiti…
  8. Kenya: Community radio brings succour to…18/05Korogocho, a slum in northeastern Nairobi with 100,000 inhabitants, had many of the ingredients for a political explosion similar to those that rocked…
  9. Veld fires 'flame' Zimbabwe's…16/05Over the years, Zimbabwe has experienced the scourge of veld fires destroying property worth thousands of dollars.
  10. Liberia commends ECOWAS for support14/05The induction training of pioneer Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Volunteers for Liberia kicked off in Monrovia, with the Deputy Mi…
  11. Vanishing Lake Chad puts 30m lives at risk14/05As you approach the Lake Chad basin from Maiduguri, in north-eastern Nigeria, the evidence of despair is telling.
  12. Heavy rains cause havoc in Kenya14/05Heavy Rainfall continued to wreak havoc across the country leading to the suspension of relief food in some parts of the country as most roads in Turk…
  13. Zimbabwe: Growth points lie dormant14/05The Zimbabwean government mooted the concept of growth points in the 1980s as a means of decongesting cities and towns.
  14. Sierra Leone improves in infant mortality11/05Sierra Leone has improved in infant mortality cases according to Save the Children- World Motherhood index 2012 report. The West Africa country descri…
  15. Zimbabwe: Resettled farmers fail to utilize…10/05Resettled farmers in Zimbabwe are failing to utilize land due to inadequate farming inputs and lack of resources.
News archive