In Ghana, the official campaigns for Sunday’s presidential and parliamentary elections draw to a close today. Big rallies are planned for the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC).
From Accra, VOA’s Peter
Clottey says the ruling NPP is holding a rally at the Accra Academy high
school, and it is expected to be a mammoth gathering.
“In the central region you
have the Convention People’s Party, the first party to rule Ghana, holding its
last rally there. And then the main opposition NDC will hold its last campaign
rally in Tema, a suburb of Accra.”
According to Clottey, the electoral commission says everything is place and election materials have already been sent to all parts of the country.
“They (Independent Electoral Commission) say it will be a smooth run. They are ready and they say what is left to be done is for the actual voting to take place.”
On the subject of security, Clottey said all security agencies met last month and have been meeting frequently ever since to ensure there is peace and quiet during the elections. “Even the outgoing president Kuffor says he expects Ghanaians to live up to their reputation of peaceful coexistence and going to the polls to vote and ensure their vote counts.”
He said that according to the constitution, should there be no clear winner with the necessary 50 percent plus one of the valid votes, there will be a run-off three weeks later, on December 28, 2008.
