Ghana counts votes after close presidential election
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Vote counting in Ghana took place on Saturday after a close election in which the ruling party's vice president, Mahamudu Bawumia, tried to shake off anger over economic woes and reject a challenge from opposition candidate, former president John Mahama.
Ghana's struggling economy dominated the election after the West African gold and cocoa producer experienced a debt default, high inflation and a $3 billion IMF bailout deal.
Voters were choosing a successor to Bawumia's boss, President Nana Akufo-Addo, who is retiring after a maximum of two four-year terms. They will also elect the country's new parliament.
Voting was largely peaceful, but one person was shot dead and four arrested at a polling station in Nyankupara in the country's north, police and local media said.
Once voting ended at 17:00 Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), election teams immediately began counting the ballots under the supervision of political party officials, who then sent the ballots to collation centres.
Preliminary results are expected to be announced early Sunday, with official presidential results expected by Tuesday.
“Everyone is complaining about the high prices, so I want change and I want a good president who will bring change,” said Abdullah Mohammed, a student who voted in Accra's Nima district. .
Ghana's two major political parties, the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC), which boast a history of political stability, have alternated in power evenly since returning to multiparty democracy in 1992. There is.
The NPP is hoping that Bawumia will lead it to an unprecedented third term, with the slogan “Break the 8” meaning overcoming the usual two terms in government. However, he struggled to escape criticism of Akufo-Addo's economic performance.
“I think we've done a lot of work on our message to the people and that message has been well received,” Bawumia said after voting in his northern hometown of Waleware.
The British-educated economist and former central banker points out that the economy is turning a corner, the government's continued digitization plans to make it easier to do business, and free education and healthcare programs. I am doing it.
– Economic frustration –
But even though inflation had slowed from over 50% to around 23% and other macroeconomic indicators were stabilizing, economic pain remained a clear election issue.
Many Ghanaians say they are still struggling with the cost of living, scarce jobs and the depreciation of the cedi currency.
Dissatisfaction with the economy has paved the way for a comeback bid by Mr Mahama, who served as president from 2012 to 2017 but has since failed twice in presidential elections.
The NDC standard-bearer says he will “reset” Ghana, introduce a “24-hour economy” that extends industrial hours to create jobs, and even renegotiate parts of the IMF agreement.
“Other elections were not so clear cut,” said Mahama, who voted in her northern hometown. “This gives everyone a sense of direction thanks to the abysmal performance of the Akufo Addo Bawumia government.”
While some analysts gave him an advantage due to voters' disappointment with the NPP, the former president faced criticism from those who remember fiscal woes and widespread power outages during his time in office.
Esther Advair, a shoe salesman, said the economic situation is hurting, but she will give Bawumia a chance to improve the situation.
“I see that he can govern the country for us. Our economy is not good, but he can do better,” she said.
Both main candidates are from the north of the country, traditionally a stronghold of the NDC, but now more fragmented, making this region a key battleground.
While Ghana's economy is key, it also faces a growing risk of jihadist conflicts in military-ruled Niger and Burkina Faso spilling over into its northern region.
The expansion of illegal gold mining was also an issue in the election. Although Akufo-Addo has promised to stop illegal mining, it has expanded, polluting river channels and impacting cocoa farmland, a major source of export revenue.
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Source: guardian.ng