Ghana Decides: Counting Under Way As Major Rivals In Neck-To-Neck Race

The Two Major Political Parties In The Front Race Of The Ghanian Presidential Polls

Early partial results would appear to confirm expectations of a neck-to-neck race between the two main candidates – incumbent President John Dramani Mahama (who replaced president John Atta Mills as president in July after he died of an illness) and opposition leader Nana Akufo-Addo.
Voting continued into the second day in some areas after breakdowns in a new biometric voting system meant many were unable to cast their ballots on Friday.
Observers say the election has been largely peaceful although police fired tear gas in the capital Accra, to disperse opposition supporters who protested outside the offices of a private firm alleged to be involved in the counting of votes.
However, Ghana’s electoral commission denied claims of improper vote counting, saying the firm was providing technical support only.
“The electoral commission receives the results directly from the polling stations. The ballot boxes go from the regional offices to the headquarters; there are no intermediaries,” said electoral commission spokesman Christian Owusu-Parry.
The electoral process was declared “in the main… peaceful and transparent,” by observers from the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas).
It would be recalled that Ghana has had five peaceful and constitutional transfers of power since its last coup in 1981, in stark contrast to the turmoil that greets elections and political transfer of powers in the region. If no clear winner emerges from this elections with an outright majority, a run-off is likely on Dec. 28