Posted by Opposition leader John Atta Mills was declared Ghana’s next president Saturday in the closest electoral race this West African nation has ever seen. The peaceful ballot secured Ghana’s place as a beacon of democracy on a volatile continent.
Ghana also is now one of the few countries in Africa to successfully transfer power twice from one legitimately elected leader to another.
Though buoyed by the recent discovery of oil, the 64-year-old tax expert who takes charge Wednesday of the world’s No. 2 cocoa producer will have to struggle with the effects of an economic downturn that could strain a nation whose anxious poor already complain wealth is not trickling down.
After the Dec. 7 election proved indecisive, Atta Mills won Sunday’s second round ballot by capturing a razor-thin victory with 50.23 percent of the vote _ or 4,521,032 ballots. Ruling party candidate Nana Akufo-Addo garnered 49.77 percent _ or 4,480,446 votes, Electoral Commission chairman Kwadwo Afari-Gyan said.
Opposition supporters thronged the streets after the announcement and jubilant drivers honked horns across the capital, Accra. Atta Mills told a pulsating crowd outside his campaign headquarters “the time has come to work together to build a better Ghana.”
But he appeared mindful of his thin mandate, adding: “I assure Ghanaians that I will be president for all.”
Akufo-Addo conceded defeat and congratulated his rival.
Atta Mills served as vice president under former coup leader Jerry Rawlings, who stepped down in 2001, and he will have to dispel any notion his rule could hark back to Rawling’s strongman era.
Story continues below
But ensuring economic growth will be his biggest challenge. Ghana’s economy has been growing by more than 6 percent a year, investment is up 20-fold over the last decade, and oil is eventually expected to bring in between $2 and $3 billion a year.
But the New York-based Eurasia Group consulting firm says Ghana’s economy is projected to slow along with the rest of the world, and Atta Mills will “grapple with a growing budget … high rates of youth unemployment, falling remittance and aid levels, and surging inflation.”
Most Ghanaians remain among the world’s poorest, earning an average $3.80 a day. A tenth of the adult population is unemployed, and 40 percent are illiterate.
The historic ballot marked the third time Atta Mills ran for president. The vote was so close authorities had to rerun it Friday in one district that failed to take part in the second round because of a ballot shortage.
Peter Pham, an Africa expert at James Madison University in Virginia, said the election “is the first case in Africa I can think of where a country has seen two successive transfers of power from democratically elected incumbents to democratically elected successors.”
That the transfers were between opposing governing powers both times “is an important indicator of the vibrancy of a country’s democracy and the maturity of its political institutions,” Pham said.
Some analysts had feared violence. They pointed to Kenya, which also was a model of stability in Africa until a similarly tight 2007 race unleashed weeks of tribal bloodshed and mayhem.
Former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan who helped broker peace in Kenya last year flew home New Year’s Day and had been working quietly behind the scenes to calm tensions in his native Ghana. President John Kufuor also appeared instrumental, calling on both sides including his own ruling party to accept the results.
Born July 21, 1944, the meek-mannered Atta Mills spent much of his career teaching at the University of Ghana and served under Rawlings.
The married father earned a doctorate degree from London’s School of Oriental and African Studies before becoming a Fulbright scholar at California’s Stanford University.
So did you want us to go to war, You know why Zanu refused to hand over power. They thought they would be prosecuted, that goes for the Police. They also know they have commited a lot of crimes.Look back from early 80′s to the late 80′s. Zanu had a lot of support what changed that?????. There was no MDC then.If Mugabe was doing well people would not have joined MDC. I would not have joined it either.But looking at what was happening i was forced by these failures to join MDC. I am not saying MDC will revive the economy but its will be better to try it than stick to the tried tested and failed Zanu. Its not about whites in Zim its about accepting that Zanu has failed and it must come up with solutions, It has not done that for the past 28 years nor we are entering the 29th year still they go on leave leaving no progress on the ground.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Abel uridofo for real that is confirmed by your response to most of the questions targeted to you and your answer on 46. Let me tell you why the opposition in Zimbabwe and South Africa is different, South Africa is a democratic country and there is freedom of expression. If MDC can operate like South African opposition parties most of the MPs would be locked up in Jail for treason or any other funny reason. The other difference is that the South African President and constitution accomodates other opposing views and they won’t murder and kidnap anyone with opposing views. Zimbabwe does not have the same playing field like South Africa or any other democratic african country period.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Well said Dynamos. People like Abel will find fault in what you just said now. But how on earth can some people think this way. Why, There is no playing field in Zimbabwe. What surprises me on this site is that most people who comments on these sites are MDC members and we are talking the same language, No hatried. We simply need what is good for the masses of Zim.But Zanu seem to oppose everything we say., But i dont blame them coz in really terms they are the opposition.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Mugabe is a fool must die death
We know you are poop scared of war thats why we take advantage of you. Muri ana mainini kubvira pana president wenyu up to you the supporters. Even if you had got 95% which you probably got, we still would have whipped you into place because musoro wenyu Morgan kutya too much. Opposing Bob on Aljazeera does not prove bravery at all. Fear of war on your part= continuing to rule for us. Period.You continue to talk about Zpf failing, we all know that but hatibvi, period and live with it because hamugoni kutibvisa. Saka tapedza newe wechidiki, svotwa urutse but that is the reality on the ground. MDC win= Zanu pf rule. Awkward equation isn’t it?
Dynamos
If you can be the majority in the country but still continue to be persecuted it means one thing which I mentioned on 46. YOU ARE WEAK. period saka makaenderei kuma election if you do not know how to convert electroral victory into power. What a waste of our tax, pathetic buggers. Even your leader is afraid to be abducted.Thats incredible. Imagine Odinga being scared like that. Rega Jendai Fraser ataure hake kuti Morgan haana nyaya. You think the SA playing field was given to them on a silver platter like you want in Zim. Chitombom.a.m.a.i.w.o zvatakaita kuti mulume otherwise go and practice your politics in Europe. Those are the sad facts my friend. Chasara kukupfekedzai marokwe anaDynamos coz muri ana mainini panyaya dzenyika idzi. Ndiri dofo yes, but ndichakutonga kusvika wati haaa wega.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Thanks Abel now you are talking. 95% which we probably got. That is true. So wants your point now you know we got the majority vote and you even going close to 100%, So who is the remaining 5% that voted for Zanu, it was a few of you and the forced soilders and Police officers who didnot even vote.So you lost the election disimally. You say you want to built Zimbabwe but you talk of war to fight who?????? For what????????. No mo comments you have said it all. Thanks mazimbo this is the state of affairs. Zanu has agreed that it lost by a wide margin, all they need is war and hold on to power at all costs.SHAME ON YOU Zanu
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Iwe Mugabe is a fool must die death hauteerere kana tichitaura nhai. Amboti arikuda kuvaka nyika ndiani. Wanzwa point yangu, yekuti hamuna nyaya machinda imimi. Chero mukaita 98% hapana kwamunoenda coz you have a pathetic leader who never has strategies to take you forward. Wedu gushungo anochaya vanhu ne 2% yake iyoyo. That is what we call strategic. Inogona kunge itori 100% yamakawana coz hapana wandinoona akavhotera mudhara pandinoenda kana kuruzevha kwedu but ndiye arikutonga, ende its funny sure. How does he do it that old man. I watch him in wonder as he dribbles the whole pitch ari ega. Ndiko kugona African politics ikoko. kwete zvenyu zvekuyema every time. Makahwinha maface but makatambwa 10 nought between 2 April and 15 April when voter anger had subsided. Morgan akarova bara rekuti Bob haana kuriona but iye Morgan ndokufunga kuti arova side netting, much to the chagrin of gushungo who proceeded to take a goal kick.thereafter ref anga apfeka uniform yaBob.Mahwani mwana wamudhara, sekuru vagara naro basa iri.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
I am sorry Abel you wrote in deep Shona i only got a few points in your comment i only learnt Shona for one year and i last spoke it 23 years ago. Please try to mix it with english or a bit of Ndebele. I dont want to end up not answering you correctly. But i tried. My point is who do you want to fight when you talk of war. Talk about fixing the mess you put us into. If you want to fight go to Somalia ro Ethopia.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
sorry for the late response I was just watching the Americans masquereding as Israelis squashing the poor Palestinians.Ahh why cant you speak our national language mate? We dont want to fight anyone because there is noone to fight because all the Zimbos are too scared to fight so we are preparing for the unlikely invasion of external forces.Incase you are serious about lack of knowledge of the national language, I was just saying your guy Morgan scored a blistering goal which the ZPF did not even see, unfortunately he thought he had hit a side netting so he did not celebrate much to the joy of Bob who went on to take a goal kick instead. Thereafter he had the ref on his side and you know what happened on 27 June You know my brother, the incompetence of top MDC-t Leadership really leaves me flabbergasted. There were times in the past when I realised that taking power for them was actually easier than not. If you go back to Zim now you will feel sorry at the site . Things have gone really bad. People are in ques for everything, things are beyond the common man, people have had enough but alas, there is noone to lead them. People need to be organised. You need daring leaders who are not afraid to die, leaders who say enough is enough, this is where as a party you are found wanting. I know you dont like to hear that but hey thats the sore truth. To you the MDC-T leaders can do no wrong just like the 1980 Mugabe could do no wrong. I tell you if there is no renewal up there Gushungo will buy himself another 5 years.Very sad indeed. We need real competition not these mediocre chaps of yours. I dont know what you think. People voted MT into power and he failed to take that power. what more does he want the people to do? And he is gaining weight in the desert there. Do you have faith that this guy will take you to the promised land, be honest please.what will have happened that has not already happened?
Like or Dislike:
0 
0