Ghanaians endure long waits to vote in high-stakes poll

Ghanaians endured long waits and delays in some areas to vote in a tight presidential election Friday as the country sought to make good on its reputation as an example of stable democracy in West Africa. At stake is control of a nation that is reaping the benefits of a booming economy fuelled in part by a new but expanding oil industry. Long lines formed in many areas and a number of voters said they had waited all night to cast ballots, with President John Dramani Mahama vying for a first elected term against main opposition candidate Nana Akufo-Addo. While many polling stations opened on time, a number started late due to the delayed delivery of materials, causing frustration. Voter biometric fingerprinting was also being used for the first time. Mahama, after voting in his home district of Bole Bamboi in the country's northern region, addressed the late start in some areas, saying that he had been informed "that the problems have been resolved." "This year's elections will go down in history as the best ever to be held in Ghana," he said. "It's a great day for Ghana and it will go a long way to consolidate Ghana's democratic credentials." The electoral commission issued a statement in the afternoon reminding voters that anyone in line when polls close at 1700 GMT will still be allowed to cast ballots. In the Jamestown area of the capital Accra, one of the city's oldest neighbourhoods with faded colonial architecture and congested streets, voters grew angry after waiting hours and shouted at authorities. The polling station opened late, followed by problems with the biometric system. Vida Armah, a 19-year-old student, said she waited more than seven hours to cast her ballot. Asked what would happen if people are not allowed to vote, she said "there will be a war." Voters in other areas where the process had gone smoothly expressed pride in being able to cast ballots. Comfort Baiden said she had arrived at 1:00 am to wait because she had to make it to work by 8:00 am. The seamstress said she had spent the night on a plastic chair reading a book. "I have to vote because I'm a Ghanaian and the vote is my future," she added. Ghana has had five elections since military rule ended in 1992, but the stakes are seen as higher than ever this time, as commercial oil production that began in 2010 is set to expand. Mahama, 54, of the National Democratic Congress, only took power in July, when his predecessor John Atta Mills died following an illness. The 68-year-old Akufo-Addo of the New Patriotic Party, the son of a former president, lost by less than one percentage point in 2008. Ghana, the first sub-Saharan African nation to gain independence from colonial rule in 1957, suffered a number of military coups before returning to democracy in 1992. Subsequent elections have seen both parties voted out of office, establishing Ghana's democratic credentials in a region that has seen its share of rigged polls and coups. US President Barack Obama chose Ghana for his first visit to sub-Saharan Africa after taking office in 2009. But analysts say that as Ghana's democracy has deepened, the rivalry between the ruling NDC and NPP has intensified. "If you capture the presidency, you control all the machinery of the state and unlike the past, we now have oil," said Emmanuel Gyimah-Boadi, a political science professor at the University of Ghana. "The state coffers will be brimming." Voters are also electing a 275-seat parliament. The NDC won a narrow edge in seats over the NPP in the 2008 vote. Six minor candidates also appear on the presidential ballot and could help force a second-round vote. There are some 14.1 million registered voters. One of the world's newest oil producers, Ghana is also a top exporter of cocoa and gold, with economic growth of 14 percent in 2011. Eight percent growth is expected for 2012 and 2013, according to the World Bank. Political observers say that the campaign has been the most policy-driven ever in the country of 24 million people, but note that ethnic and regional allegiances remain crucial. How to spend Ghana's oil money has been one of the key issues. Mahama has advocated a large investment in infrastructure, while Akufo-Addo has promoted his signature policy of free secondary education.