Run-off Poll in Ghana

A presidential candidate in Ghana must draw at least 50 percent of the vote to avoid a run-off election. Since neither of the contestants in Ghana's presidential election held on 7^th December reached the 50% threshold needed for an outright win and a run-off will be held on 28 December. The election was a close contest. Turnout was 69.52% for Ghana's nail-biting fifth set of elections since it embraced multi-party democracy in 1992. Voters in Ghana prioritized education, health and agriculture (in that order) in a list of 10 items of their concerns. In terms of percentage increase in vote, the NPP performed better than the NDC in the 2004 presidential elections.

Local and international observers have praised Ghana for setting a good example on how to conduct an election. Known as the Gold Coast before independence in 1957, the ex-British colony and nation of 22 million people was the first African state to gain its independence in 1957. Some 12.8 million Ghanaians have the chance to choose the man who will replace President John Kufuor, who is stepping down after two four-year terms, and vote for candidates to 230 seats of the country's parliament.

Governing party candidate Nana Akufo-Addo won 49.13% of the vote, against 47.92% for his rival, John Atta Mills. Electoral commission chairman Kwadwo Afari Gyan told a news conference in the capital, Accra that NPP candidate Akufo-Addo won 4,159,439 votes, while NDC contender John Atta Mills had 4,056,634 ballots. Trailing a very distant third was businessman Papa Kwesi Nduom, of the Convention People's Party (CPP), with 1.3% of the ballot. The real third place went to spoiled ballots - out of the 8.6m votes cast, more than 200,000, or 2.4% of the total, were rejected. There is going to be a re-run and it will be between the two leading candidates. The commission chairman did not immediately announce the results of the parallel parliamentary elections also held simultaneously, saying the commission needed to clarify some issues. In the last parliament the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) had a clear majority, but partial official results showed the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) closing the gap.

Among the international bodies that have deployed observer missions to monitor the elections are the Commonwealth, the European Union and the West African grouping the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). Botswana president Ketumile Massire, who was leading a team of election monitors from the Carter Center who observed the start of voting at the Saint Kizito Catholic School in Accra , said, "There have been four elections and every successive election has been an improvement from the previous one, but there's always room for more improvement."

I

Ghana is a former British colony, seven presidential aspirants were vying in the polls -- the country's fifth since the return to multi-party democracy in 1992 -- to succeed Kufuor, one of Africa's most respected leaders who have to stand down after two terms. But the real contest is between the ruling NPP and the NDC of the fiery former ruler Jerry Rawlings, which was in power until the 2000 elections. The NDC had more than 24% increase over the NPP in 2004 but as per the July 2008 Opinion polls, this had dropped to nearly 4%.The Convention People's Party (CPP) seems to have gained from the slight decrease in the NPP's support, from the 2004 figure of 0.48% to 6.4% per the opinion polls of July 2008. Voting started on 07 December in Ghana's presidential and legislative elections, with some polling stations in the capital Accra opening on time and others delayed by the late delivery of voting material. Ghanaians began voting -- the country's fifth since the return to multi-party democracy in 1992 -- to choose the man who will succeed President John Kufuor, who is stepping down after two four-year terms, and vote for candidates to 230 parliamentary seats.

Nana Akufo-Addo, a 64-year-old lawyer from the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) and foreign minister and the son of a former president and John Atta-Mills, also 64, a law professor from the National Democratic Congress (NDC), are the leading contenders for president. Mills has stood for election as the NDC candidate twice before, both times losing to President John Kufuor, the popular incumbent who is now stepping down after serving two terms, The parties of the two main presidential contenders have each had an eight-year stint in power, giving the electorate the chance to compare their respective records.

Irrespective of who the winner would be, many were expecting the presidential and parliamentary elections across Ghana to be the most credible, peaceful and cleanest in the nation's history and have all touted the coming election as one to add grace to Ghana's credibility as a democratic country.. In these tightly-contested presidential and parliamentary elections, Ghanaians will be electing the 3rd president in this 4th Republic after Jerry John Rawlings and John Agyekum Kufuor.

Although it sounds like Zimbabwe scene, Ghana's polls have been appreciated by many poll observers. the Ghana polls so far have shown African states can hold credible ballots, after violence and claims of fraud this year overshadowed elections in Kenya, Zimbabwe and Nigeria. With prayers for peaceful presidential and parliamentary elections, and with the polls being held for the first time on a Sunday, many churches had held services the day before to allow their congregations to vote.

II

After electoral violence in Kenya, Zimbabwe and Nigeria in recent years, observers were closely watching the election, Ghana's multi-party poll. Much of the support for the country's two main political parties is regionally and ethnically based. The NPP's stronghold is Kumasi, the second biggest city in Ghana, and the rest of its support comes primarily from the central part of the country, home to most of the gold and cocoa producing areas.

Many are seen unhappy with how the NPP was dealing with corruption and how President Kufuor was mismanaging the nation's funds. He was traveling at every opportunity instead of handling business at home. Ghanaians have continued to suffer and it's not getting any better. There is a backlog of salaries in most professions. Cost of living is high and the standard of living for the vast majority of people is still low. Ghana is not very safe and the drug trade has become a national nuisance. The government is not doing much to discourage it. But jobs have been created in Ghana.

A poll released in November showed the opposite of this week's result, with Mills leading Akufo-Addo by a similar margin. Papa Kwesi Nduom, 55, a businessman and consultant representing the Convention People's Party (CPP) and "the agent of real active positive change" could play the role of spoiler. According to a latest poll, Akufo-Addo was leading Mills by 52 percent to 42 percent. However, the poll was apparently conducted by the Bureau of National Investigation, the equivalent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the United States , and the opposition has strongly criticized the body for it. However, results of an opinion poll conducted by the Danquah Institute suggest Ghanaians would vote the National Democratic Congress (NDC) into power. A survey conducted by the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) also forecasts a slim first-round victory for the opposition NPP. The poll which was conducted in April 2008, also predicts a high voter turnout. The results also sought to find out the issues that would shape voting trends on "Super Sunday".

III

The Republic of Ghana is a country in West Africa. It borders Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south. The word "Ghana" means "Warrior King. The name Ghana was chosen for the new nation to reflect the ancient Empire of Ghana that once extended throughout much of western Africa.

Ghana was created as a parliamentary democracy at independence in 1957, followed by alternating military and civilian governments. In January 1993, military government gave way to Fourth Republic after presidential and parliamentary elections in late 1992. The 1992 constitution divides powers among a president, parliament, cabinet, Council of State, and an independent judiciary. The Government is elected by universal suffrage.

A recent violence in the north pales is compared to that of the mid-1990s, when estimates put the death toll after a series of land disputes at more than 1,000. Nevertheless, observers remain worried. On the main issues, voters appear most focused on the economy. Kufuor has been in power during a period of economic growth, but the opposition parties contend that it has not benefited poor Ghanaians. When the polling organization Gallup asked Ghanaians what the most important issues in the election were, respondents named poverty, job creation, unemployment and agriculture.

Last year, Ghana discovered oil offshore, adding another dimension to the election. Experts predict that the government could be looking at oil revenue of close to U.S. $3 billion by 2010, when the oil is expected to come onshore. Many Ghanaians are worried about the "resource curse" which inflicts other African countries, and hope to install accountability so oil revenues are not wasted. Regarded by investors as one of Africa's most promising emerging markets, it is the world's second biggest cocoa grower and Africa 's number two gold miners. The stakes are high, he adds, as the country has just discovered oil. Some Ghanaians had hoped this election would already have been completed, fearing the run-off will be bad for business.

A change in presidency, even if that occurs, does not actually make a big a difference to the nation at present. The Ghana voting is considered significant for Africa and for Ghana in particular, as it was one of the first countries to get independence and if it succeeds it adds a score for the continent. Ghana was the first African nation to free itself of colonial rule and the poll is being closely followed in Africa and further afield, in particular since Nigeria's elections last year were marred by fraud and those in Kenya and Zimbabwe by widespread violence.

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Yours Sincerely,

DR.ABDUL RUFF Colachal

Columnist & Independent Researcher in International Affairs,

South Asia