Ghana Election, Seen as Test, Marks End of an Era

Voters in this West African nation cast ballots Thursday in a landmark presidential election marking the end of an era dominated by charismatic former fighter pilot Jerry J. Rawlings, who has ruled for almost two decades.

Rawlings, who staged two coups and led a brutal military regime before embracing democracy, is abiding by a two-term constitutional limit and stepping down, leaving the presidency to one of seven candidates.

Local analysts and foreign diplomats said that whatever the outcome, the vote would serve as a test for Ghana’s evolving democracy. And Rawlings’ willingness to cede power is a rare gesture in a region notorious for oppressive leaders and flawed elections.

“The election is a test of our political development, because the personality who has dominated our politics for the last 19 years is exiting,” said Baffour Agyeman-Duah, associate executive director of the Accra-based Center for Democracy Development.

“The whole departure in itself is a significant event,” Agyeman-Duah said. “It is testing the maturity of our electoral process and the ability of our people to successfully conduct this test.”

Voters also cast ballots for the 200-member parliament. Final results were expected by late Saturday. The winner of the presidential election must garner more than 50% of the vote or face a runoff within 21 days.

With Rawlings out of the contest, the ruling National Democratic Congress was hoping to hold on to power with a victory by Vice President John Atta Mills.

“I think we have done all that we can to build a good democracy, and now it is the responsibility of all to build on it,” said Mills, 56, a law professor and tax expert, as he cast his ballot. He said he was “extremely confident” of winning.

But his six opponents, the most prominent of them British-trained lawyer John Agyekum Kufuor of the New Patriotic Party, said Ghanaians were ready to cut ties with the old regime.

Kufuor, 62, who came in second in the country’s 1996 elections, campaigned on a platform of “positive change.”

Critics maintain that should Mills win, Rawlings would continue to pull strings behind the scene. Rawlings flatly denies that.

“Quite frankly, it is a bit of a relief to be stepping down, though I see a lot of work ahead of us,” Rawlings told reporters as he left his home in Accra, the capital, to vote at an open-air polling station. “I believe the legacy I have left behind is . . . a new sense of confidence our people have in their right to participate and their right to decide.”

Some voters said they would be bitterly disappointed if Mills won because they had lost faith in ruling party officials, whom they accuse of promoting extravagance and failing to curb graft.

“These people are very corrupt,” said New Patriotic Party supporter Nana Kwame Agyekum, a teacher. “They didn’t give us any hope, especially the youth. They are very selfish.”

Ghana’s economy has nose-dived in recent years, partly because of plunging international prices for its primary exports: cocoa and gold. Salvaging the economy will present the biggest challenge to the country’s new leader.

Inflation is running at 35%, interest rates near 50%, and the minimum wage is less than a dollar a day. The cedi currency has plummeted, while prices of basic consumer items have skyrocketed.

Supporters point to Rawlings’ achievements, including his success in maintaining stability in Ghana, which lies in a region wracked by turmoil. They also credit him with bringing clean water and electricity to rural areas, and developing a network of good roads. Greater civil liberties have allowed many private media outlets to flourish, despite continued complaints of harassment by security forces. It has also meant that opposition parties have been able to assert themselves, allowing tougher and fairer competition at the polls.

“The country has made a lot of progress in terms of developing democratic institutions and democratic values,” said one Western diplomat, who spoke on the customary condition of anonymity. “Expectations are high, and that bodes well for whoever gets into office.”

But critics counter that the amount of progress is unimpressive for the length of time Rawlings has been in charge.

“If you consider that for 20 years he has been in power, it could have been better,” said Ben Ephson, a local political commentator and editor of the Dispatch, a popular biweekly newspaper. “The question is, has life improved vis-a-vis the potential available in terms of wealth and [foreign assistance] given? The answer, I think, is no.”

The atmosphere at polling stations was cheerful and calm despite some irregularities, including reports of shortages of voting materials and complaints from some individuals that their names did not appear on voting lists.