Kufuor, Mills In Run-Off

Ghana's presidential election, held throughout the country last Thursday, is to be re-run following the inability of the two leading contestants, Mr John Agyekum of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and Professor J. E. A. Mills of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to hit the 50 per cent plus one vote mark.

Whilst Mr. Kufuor obtained 3, 104,393 million votes representing 48.44 percent of 6,408,393 of total valid votes cast, Prof. Mills polled 2,871,051 votes also representing 44.80 per cent.

The Chairman of the EC, Dr Kwadwo Afari Gyan who addressed a news conference, said run-off has become necessary due to the fact that no single candidate was able to get more than the total votes of other parties which contest the presidential election.

He said the run-off is expected to be held with in 21 days after the formal declaration of results and remarked that the commission would strive to ensure that it is conducted within the period to enable the next government to be sworn into office on January 7, 2001.

With the exception of the results of the Bawku Central Constituency which is yet to be declared all the results of the 199 constituencies have been collated and certified by the national headquarters of the commission.

Dr Afari Gyan explained that the results of the constituency would be released as soon as the issue that led to the clash resulting in the death and maiming of other is resolved. He said none of the two leading candidates could secure a win even if it sweeps all the votes in the constituency which is 77.469.

According to Dr Afari Gyan the commission had to come out with the Provisional Results to end the prediction and speculation of the public about its inability to state the outcome of the polls before 72 hours. He said the EC has also made available the results to the various political parties for their examination before the commission comes out finally with the official final results.

Dr Afari Gyan also announced results of other candididates who vied for the presidential slot as, Mr Dan Lartey, Great Consolidated Popular Party (GCPP), 66, 439 representing 1 percent of total votes cast; Professor George Hagan, Convention Peoples Party (CPP), 114,531 (1.8 percent) and Dr Edward Mahama, People's National Convention (PNC), 158,419 (2.5 per cent).

The rest are, Dr Charles Wereko Brobby, United Ghana Movement (UGM), 21,803 (0.3 per cent) and Mr. Goosie Tanoh, Natioanl Reform Party (NRP), 71,595 (1.1 per cent).