Ghana Votes In Tight Presidential Election Race

Accra, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 7th Dec, 2024) Ghanaians voted in elections on Saturday with frontrunners vice president and former central banker Mahamudu Bawumia and opposition ex-president John Mahama facing off in a closely contested race.

Ghana's struggling economy emerged as the dominant electoral issue after the West Africa gold and cacao producer went through a debt default, high inflation and negotiations for a $3 billion IMF bailout.

Voters will choose a successor to President Nana Akufo-Addo, who steps down after his legally allowed two terms, and will also elect the country's new parliament.

Voting will close at 1700 GMT on Saturday, with early results expected on Sunday and full results for the presidential election expected by Tuesday.

"We want to vote for change, the economic situation is very hard," retired policeman James Nsiah said, waiting to cast his ballot at a booth in the Jamestown area of the capital Accra.

With a history of political stability, Ghana's two main parties, current ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) and National Democratic Congress (NDC), have alternated in power almost equally since 1992.

Touting a slogan "Break the 8" -- a reference to the usual two, four-year terms in power -- the NPP hopes Bawumia can lead them to an unprecedented third term in office. But he struggled to break from being linked to criticism of Akufo-Addo's economic record.

Wearing a traditional white smock, Bawumia voted early on Saturday in his hometown of Walewale in the north of Ghana.

"I am very hopeful of winning this election," he told reporters. "I think we have done a lot of work with our message to the people and the message has been well received."

A UK-educated economist, he points to an economy turning a corner and the government's continued plans for digitalisation to ease business as well as free education and health programmes.

Ghana's government temporarily closed all land borders on Friday night through Sunday to "ensure the integrity" of the vote, an interior ministry statement said.