Ghana Polls Open for 2nd Day after Delays Force Extension
Ghana opened polling stations for a second day on Saturday in those areas where technical glitches led to delays, forcing an extension of the west African country's general election.
Electoral officials ordered voting to take place for a second day after problems with a new biometric identification system and late delivery of materials forced long delays in some polling stations during Friday's presidential and parliamentary vote.
Electoral commission chief Kwado Afari-Gyan said "we are talking about isolated instances. It is not a mass problem." An exact number of affected constituencies was not yet clear.
On Saturday, an Agence France Presse reporter saw a polling station open in at least one district in the capital Accra where voting had to be extended. More than 100 people were waiting to cast ballots.
Another polling place visited by AFP had yet to open nearly an hour after the scheduled 07:00 GMT start time.
Friday's voting went smoothly in many areas, but the new biometric system requiring electronic fingerprints from voters suffered a number of breakdowns in certain districts, resulting in long lines and much frustration.
Materials also arrived late in some polling stations, forcing them to open far behind schedule.
President John Dramani Mahama is vying for a first elected term against main opposition candidate Nana Akufo-Addo in a nation reaping the benefits of a booming economy fueled in part by a new and expanding oil industry.
The results are expected to be close in a country that has been seeking to live up to its reputation as an example of stable democracy in turbulent west Africa. Voters are also electing a 275-seat parliament.
Source: Agence France Presse
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