Campaigning ends in Ghana; fraud fears don't deter opposition

Ghana's opposition said as campaigning in presidential and parliamentary elections ended Tuesday that it would win despite "dirty tricks" it says the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) will attempt.

"Today marks the beginning of the total fall of the NDC," said presidential hopeful John Kufuor of the main opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP).

The opposition charges that a Supreme Court ruling Monday allowing voters to present old identification cards bearing only thumbprints or new photo IDs would open the way for the NDC to rig the elections on Thursday.

Tuesday was the official close of the campaign, and while the NDC held its final rally at Accra's Indafa Park, the NPP saturated the airwaves in a last blitz of advertising.

In any case, the presidential and parliamentary elections will bring to an end of Jerry Rawlings' 19-year rule as either military or civilian leader.

His protege, incumbernt Vice President John Atta Mills, is facing a stiff challenge from Kufuor, who lost to Rawlings by just 488,000 votes in 1996.

Atta Mills told the NDC rally: "We want free, fair and transparent elections. We want every Ghanaian to be able to choose their leader."

The elections would not be fair if those without photo IDs are unable to vote, he said.

He said the NDC would win "because our cause is just, ... because we have a track record ... because we stand for stability, unity and development."

Rawlings, who lent his abundant charisma to the final appeal, spoke for nearly an hour. He said the NDC had been serene ahead of the Supreme Court ruling because they "believe in the rule of law."

Earlier Tuesday, the NPP issued a joint statement along with three smaller opposition parties saying: "We all know the dirty tricks which the NDC has used in previous elections and intend to use in this coming election too.

"They need thumbprint cards to facilitate their dirty tricks. ... This time around the dirty tricks will not help them. Our eyes are open, and we shall catch and expose them," the statement added.

Photo IDs were provided for this year's vote under a two million dollar program funded mainly by Denmark, Britain and the European Union that is also helping to pay the costs of local election monitors.

The photo IDs were meant to replace thumbprint IDs, but the Supreme Court ruled Monday that excluding registered voters without photo IDs would be unconstitutional.

The ruling opens the opportunity for fraud because the names of people who voted in past elections -- "ghosts" -- remain on the electoral lists.

At the press conference, the opposition announced it would not boycott the election over the issue, drawing applause and cheers from scores of supporters grouped around the outdoor venue.

"It might well be that the NDC's hope is to lure us into boycotting the elections. We have absolutely no intention of falling into such a trap," said the joint statement, whose signatories included the National Reform Party, a breakaway formation of the NDC.

Instead, the parties called on their supporters to vote early and in large numbers and to be extra vigilant at the polling stations.

A western diplomat said: "It's a sensible decision. Obviously it's best if the elections go ahead, and ideally that they are free and fair."

Some 200 international observers will be on hand for the elections, covering approximately 1,000 polling stations in 100 selected constituencies "where the smallest swing would change the vote," the diplomat told AFP.

Some 12,000 to 15,000 local observers from seven non-governmental organizations will also be monitoring the vote, he said.