Ghanaian Elections Set to Take Place

West African country marks sixty years of independence in March 2017.

File photo courtesy of  www.modernghana.com

Ghanians are set to go to the polls tomorrow (December 7th) to elect a President and Members of Parliament. Almost sixteen million have registered to vote which accounts for 57% of the country's twnety six million strong population.

Opinions polls suggest the presidential race is between Nana Akufo-Addo, the leader of the main oppostion party and John Mahama, who served as Vice-President for three years becoming President in 2012. Mr. Mahama assumed this office following the sudden passing of the then President, John Atta Mills.

Ahead of polling day, both sides have called for peaceful elections. If no candidates gains 50% of the vote, a second round of voting will take place between the high placed candidates. The Parliament is made up of 275 members. Each consitituency elects one member using a first-past-the-post system. Ghana is considered as one of the most democratic countires on the continent and will mark sixty years of independence next March.

The OLA Sisters have had a presence in Ghana since 1883. This year, the OLA Province of Ghana marked the twentieth anniversary of it's founding. It had previously formed part of the OLA Province of Ireland. The OLA Province of Ghana currently has fifty-eight Sisters in ten communities spread across three electoral areas: Cape Coast, Accra-Nkwanta and Brong Ahafo Areas. Education, healthcare and pastoral works form a central part of the OLA mission in Ghana.

Further information on the Province of Ghana is available here.

Children during break time at an OLA Primary School in Ghana