The general election in Ghana 6

As voting day dawns, the final results remain difficult to predict, with a possible second round of voting needed to determine who becomes president.

Although all parties have publically joined Peace rallies, and urged calm, a familiar pattern of accusations and counter charges of name calling, corruption and false promises has also surfaced. The multiple radio stations have hosted discussions and phone-ins in which rhetoric abounds. The staged TV debate between the two principle and further two secondary presidential candidates lacked a detailed exploration of policies, as prepared answers to scripted questions were traded.

Flight Lieutenant Jerry Rawlins, former military leader and twice elected president following the restoration of parliamentary democracy in 1992, continues to influence and enjoy popular support among sections of the incumbent NDC party and across the poorer regions generally, while sparking criticism from opposition leaders and followers.

Voters worry whether the newly installed system of biometric voter ID will operate quickly enough, or whether long queues will build at polling stations.

Here in Zebilla, the morning of Friday 7^th December, voting day, began well before dawn, as it always does, with calls to prayer from the nearby mosques overlapping with music played through the night by revelers perhaps planning to be the first in place to vote when polling stations open at 7 am.

Later, with the sun setting, we learned the queues did build up at polling stations, and that voting would therefore continue the following day. Any cheering we could hear from the town centre was merely high spirits rather than victory celebrations by a winning party.

sample of biometric voter ID card

NB- VSO volunteers have no political role to play when in placement, and are instructed to stay indoors during election period.