More than 14 million Ghanaian voters go to the polls to elect a new President

According to polls, incumbent President Mahama and candidate Addo receive equal support.

On December 7, more than 14 million Ghanaians went to the polls to elect a new president. There were eight candidates running, but the election was considered a tight race between incumbent President John Dramani Mahama of the ruling National Democratic Party and candidate Nana Akufo-Addo of the opposition New Patriotic Party.

According to the latest opinion polls, incumbent President Mahama and candidate Addo have received equal support, as both campaigned on policies to improve the education system. President Mahama replaced President John Atta Mills after Atta Mills passed away last July. During the election campaign, incumbent President Mahama pledged to implement a solid education program for the Ghanaian people, focusing on improving infrastructure in the education system, along with new policies in the health sector, agriculture, tourism, infrastructure and many other areas. Incumbent President Mahama's commitments received the support of many Ghanaian voters.

“Mr. Mahama is a charismatic leader and a humble person. We support Mr. Mahama. I believe that under his leadership, we will have the best access to equitable education,” said a voter in the capital Accra.

Although both parties focus on improving the education system, the New Patriotic Party focuses more on free tuition for students, especially at the secondary level. “The current tuition fees are quite high, at 18 million cedis (US$900). I cannot afford this. I hope that if Mr. Addo comes to power, my children will be able to go to school. I myself can also continue my vocational training to become a nurse,” said one New Patriotic Party (NPP) voter.

The polls opened at 7am local time and closed at 5pm. Biometric scanners and other voting equipment were deployed at 26,000 polling stations. This is the first time Ghana has used biometric scanners for registered voters in this election. The counting of votes will be conducted at the polling stations after the polls close. The results will be announced there before being faxed to the Election Commission's control room.

This presidential election in Ghana is a test of the economic and democratic development process in this African country. US President Barack Obama has called Ghana a “model of democracy in Africa” because it has escaped the brink of crisis through elections, while many other countries could have fallen into conflict.

The disputed elections in neighboring Ivory Coast in 2010 led to a civil war. Other neighboring countries such as Mali and Guinea Bissau were thrown into chaos by military coups. Meanwhile, Ghana has undergone five constitutional transfers of power since the 1981 coup. With recent years of stability and peace, along with abundant natural resources, Ghana has become one of the countries that many international investors are interested in./.

According to VOV - DT