Ghana opposition challenges President Mahama's victory
Accra, 29 Dec - (ANA) - Ghana's main opposition party has filed a petition at the Supreme Court to challenge President John Mahama's victory in this month's election. The New Patriotic Party (NPP) rejected the results of the 7 December poll, alleging fraud. The election commission said Mr Mahama had secured 50.7% of votes, enough to avoid a run-off against NPP candidate Nana Akufo-Addo with 47.7% of the vote International election observers described the poll as free and fair. Mr Akufo-Addo lost the 2008 presidential run-off by one percentage point, but accepted the result. Ghana is regarded as one of Africa's most stable democracies.
The NPP said it had waited to file its challenge in court until it had analysed the data from 26,000 polling stations. It said it had now found irregularities such as cases of over voting and instances when people not registered by the new biometric finger-printing system were able to vote. The NPP leader said it had not been an easy decision to go ahead with the challenge, but the evidence submitted was "mind-blowing and came as a shock even to sceptics in the party". "This case is seeking to deepen our democracy by strengthening the institutions that are mandated by our constitution to superintend the electoral process," Mr Akufo-Addo said. (ANA)

FA/ANA/29 December 2012---------------