After wining the legislative and presidential elections held respectively on 7 and 28 December 2000, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) became the ruling party in Ghana (Elections around the World 19 Feb. 2000; Ghana Election 30 Dec. 2000; Keesing's Dec. 2001, 43892).

The NPP chairman and now the President of Ghana, John Agyekum Kufuor obtained about 57 per cent of the vote while John Evans E. Atta-Mills of the former ruling party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) gained about 42 per cent. With about 45 per cent of the vote, the NPP won about 100 of 200 parliamentary seats versus 92 for the NPC (ibid.; BBC 11 Dec. 2000; Africa Research Bulletin 22 Feb. 2001, 14259).

According to a 11 December 2000 BBC report, the legislative election "was marred by sporadic clashes between supports of the two rival camps." However, the European Union described the Ghanaian elections as "free, fair and transparent" (EU 4 Jan. 2001; IRIN 5 Jan. 2001).

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.

Africa Research Bulletin [London]. 22 February 2001. Vol. 38, No 1. "Ghana: Peaceful Transition."

BBC News. 11 December 2001. "Ghana Votes for Change." http://www.news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/africa/newsid_1065000/1065113.stm [Accessed 15 Mar. 2001]

Elections Around the World. 19 February 2001(last update). "Elections in Ghana." http://www.agora.stm.it/elections/ghana.htm [Accessed 29 Aug. 2000]

European Union (EU) [Brussels]. 4 January 2001. "Press Release: Declaration by the Presidency on Behalf of the European Union Concerning Ghana." http://www.ue.eu.int Accessed 15 Mar. 2001]

Ghana Election 2000. 28 December 2000. "Summary of 2000 Presidential Run-Off." http://www.ghanaelections.com/run-off.htm [Accessed 15 Mar. 2001]

Integrated Regional Information Networks (IRIN). 9 January 2001. "Ghana: EU Pledges Aid after Clean Election." http://www.reliefweb.int/IRIN/wa/countrystories/ghana/20010105.phtml [Accessed 15 Mar. 2001]

Keesing's Record of World Events [Cambridge]. December 2000. "Ghana: Presidential and Legislative Elections."