Post date: Jan 07, 2013 1:25:31 PM
Ghanaians gather to celebrate the inauguration of President John Dramani Mahama as the parliamentary opposition boycotts the ceremony, claiming election irregularities.
ACCRA, GHANA (JANUARY 7, 2013 (REUTERS) - Ghanaians lined the streets of Accra to see President John Dramani Mahama sworn into office Monday (January 7) morning, as they prepared to celebrate the inauguration of Mahama and a new parliament.
Mahama is the West African country's former vice president.He took office in July after the death of President John Atta Mills, and then won a December 7 election.
His victory is being contested by the political opposition, who say the polling involved enough irregularities to affect the outcome.
National and international observers said the December election - in which Mahama won 50.7 percent of the votes - was free and fair despite delays and technical problems that forced voting into a second day.
Joedordoe Kudjoe, who turned out on Monday to support Mahama, said he agreed that the new president carried the election without a doubt. "We know that we've won the elections, hundred percent and we know we are happy, we want to come and celebrate it so that the whole Ghana, the whole world will know that surely we love the guy too much because he is a youth," he said.
The opposition NPP party, whose leader, Nana Akufo-Addo, came second with 47.7 percent, boycotted Mahama's inauguration.
The party's leader in parliament, Osei Kyei,-Mensah-Bonsu said if they were to attend the inauguration, it would suggest that they backed the electoral commission's decision.
"Once you attend then as it were, it would be an endorsement to the declaration by the Electoral Commission and that is why we have decided not to go. And the court matter, we believe, is a more civilised method than resorting to bows and arrows and guns and machetes as is happening in some African states. We believe in the role of law, let's due process resolve the case that we've taken to the supreme court," he said.
Cletus Avoka, the former majority party's leader in parliament, the opposition was adopting an attitude that was flying in the face of the facts.
"I wish now that they have gone to court they could continue to undertake all constitutional and legal activities associated with the transition until such time the court pronounces the verdict in one way or the other, that they would then advise themselves but if you send the matter to court and decide not to respect what the electoral commission has declared to be the winner, it would look like you have already taken the law into your hands and I think that is unfortunate," Avoka said.
Ghana is one of Africa's fastest growing economies and has maintained three decades of peace, making it a favourite among international investors and an anomaly in a region better known for coups and civil wars.
Mahama has said economic growth in the cocoa, oil and gold exporting nation was between 8.5 and 9 percent in 2012, but that political unity was required to ensure the rising productivity resulted in development.