29 Dec 2008

Presidential run-off election held

3:13 pm on 29 December 2008

Counting is underway after a run-off election for president in Ghana on Sunday.

Nana Akufo-Addo, 64, of the ruling New Patriotic Party, is standing against John Atta Mills, 64, of the opposition National Democratic Congress.

Both hope to succeed President John Kufuor, who has served two terms, but neither obtained an outright win three weeks ago.

Full results are not expected before Tuesday at the earliest. Local media said turnout appeared to be lower than the first round on 7 December, which was inconclusive.

The BBC reports about 12.5 million people were eligible to vote in the election - the third since Ghana returned to democracy in 1992.

Both contenders are foreign-trained lawyers who have vowed to maintain stability and growth.

Ghana is the world's second largest cocoa grower and the second largest gold producer in Africa, and is preparing to start commercial oil output in late 2010.