Annan Congratulates Ghana

...For Its "Transparent And Peaceful" Elections

PRESS RELEASE January 2, 2001 United Nations

Secretary-General Kofi Annan today commended the people and leaders of Ghana for the "transparent and peaceful manner" in which their elections were held on 28 December.

"With these elections, Ghana has demonstrated that democracy and its institutions continue to take root in Africa," he said.

"The international community should rejoice at this orderly and democratic transfer of power and stand ready to help Ghana and other new democracies consolidate their hard-won gains."

The Secretary-General said he had been following closely the electoral process in Ghana, which ended yesterday with a second round of presidential elections between opposition leader John Kufuor of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and current Vice-President John Atta-Mills of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC).

Although Mr. Kufuor led in the first round, his failure to obtain an outright majority necessitated a second round of voting.