AFRICA/GHANA - Ghana to vote: presidential and parliamentary elections begin

Monday, 7 December 2020 elections   democracy  

Accra (Agenzia Fides) - Today 7th December 2020, 17,027,665 Ghanaians are expected to cast their votes as the country chooses its new president and members of parliament for the next four years.
12 candidates are contesting for the presidential seat including the two main candidates, the incumbent Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for the New Patriotic Party NPP and the former president John Dramani Mahama for the National Democratic Congress,NDC. Whoever of these two wins will be serving his second and final term as president of the Republic of Ghana. The widow of the late former president Jerry John Rawlings, Nana Konadu Agyman Rawlings is contesting on the ticket of her party the National Democratic Party, NDP.
275 parliamentary seats are being contested by 27 parties as well as independent candidates. The vote is the eighth consecutive since the return to multi-party democracy in 1992 under then president Jerry John Rawlinhs
Key issues that voters will be considering include corruption, free senior high school education and the employment crisis especially among the youth.
Voting started at 7am today in most constituencies but started later in some places due to late arrival of electoral materials. There is high security at all polling stations and on communal levels to prevent outbreaks of violence and to protect the ballot boxes. There are several local and international observer groups observing the elections. The Electoral Commission of Ghana which is responsible for supervising the election has ensured all Covid-19 protocols are in place.
Catholic priests across the country urged the faithful during Masses yesterday to cast their vote peacefully and for the benefit of the country.(A.A)(L.M) (Agenzia Fides,7/12/2020)


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