Sunday, December 9, 2012

Ghanaians wait for Presidential election results

Nana Akufo-Ado of the National Patriotic Party, (NPP) vs John Dramani Mahama of the National Democratic Congress(NDC)

On the third day of Ghana's general election, Ghanaians are waiting for the official results, with some of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) supporters sounding upbeat about the victory.

Dozens of supporters of the ruling NDC, in a jubilant mood in anticipation of an electoral victory, have poured onto the streets of the capital and other parts of the West African country.

Joy fm, a private local media, projected that incumbent John Mahama is the likely president-elect of Ghana.

Mahama polled 50.52 percent of the total votes cast to beat his closest competitor Nana Akufo-Addo of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) , who gained 47.88 percent based on the votes of 262 constituencies out of all the 275.

The Electoral Commission has said the results of the polls will, however, be officially declared 72 hours after polls.

Kwadwo Owusu-Afriyie, general secretary of the NPP, told in a press briefing late Saturday that NPP presidential candidate Akfuo- Addo won as he got 51.03 percent against incumbent President Mahama's 45.50 percent based on their own collated results.

Ghana is widely regarded as the leading African democracy model as it experienced smooth power transition in 1992 in contrast to its neighboring Cote d'Ivoire.

Former Nigerian president Olusegun Obasanjo on Sunday commended Ghanaians for the significant strides made in their democratic dispensation.

Obasanjo, who is also the leader of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and African Union (AU) Observer Mission, made the comments when he met President Mahama at his residence.

"We (Nigerians) hope to join you (Ghana) soon as vanguards of democracy," the former Nigerian leader said.

The police administration has deployed some 41,000 security personnel to the 26,000 polling stations across the country, and positioned reserves at vantage points to assist the patrol teams that will respond to any public disorder. Till now no mass violence was reported.

Ghana's main opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), Sunday asked the Electoral Commission (EC) to suspend the announcement of Friday's presidential election over alleged electoral malpractices.

National Chairman Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, addressing a press conference at the party's national headquarters here, accused the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) of falsifying election results from across the country.

"Based on the evidence available, we are calling on the EC not to go ahead with the declaration of the presidential election until all the allegations have been investigated," Obetsebi- Lamptey said.

At a separate press conference, the General Secretary of the NDC Johnson Asiedu Nketiah dismissed the NPP allegations as "vile propaganda", and asked the party's teeming supporters to remain calm as the EC prepared to announce the results of Friday's polls.

Ghanaians voted on Friday and Saturday to elect a president and 275 members of parliament.

Results, which started trickling in on Friday evening through to Sunday, put the incumbent John Dramani Mahama slightly ahead of his closest challenger, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

The country's Electoral Commission is yet to come out with official results for the weekend's polls which would be due within 72 hours after official close of polls.

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