Ghana's electoral commission has released the results of the nation's closely-watched December 7 elections, and local and international observers have declared the first round of voting free, fair and peaceful. Neither of the two leading presidential contenders, representing the ruling New Patriotic Party and the opposing National Democratic Congress obtained the constitutional minimum percentage for victory. Results for the Parliament so far show a slight majority for opposition party NDC over the NPP, which is being interpreted as a popular demand for cooperation between the two dominant parties.
These results have several implications for revenue transparency initiatives in Ghana. Commercial quantities of oil were discovered for the first time in Ghana in June 2007. With drilling scheduled to begin in late 2009, the country has been preparing for an oil boom which could eclipse the country's mining revenues. The government convened a national forum on oil and development in February, and Revenue Watch continues to support consultations between Parliament, civil society and Ghana's Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (GEITI) group.
Voting in Ghana has been extended until December 28 and most government activity has ceased for the period. Ghana was an early member of the international EITI effort, first launching its program in 2003. While RWI was expecting to see a revised EITI validation work-plan and budget, this step will likely be postponed. Additionally, with the opposition NDC party expected to assume control of Ghana's Parliament, the new dynamics of the legislature may impact the progress of RWI's efforts to build legislative capacity for effective extractive sector oversight. Despite the shifts in the legislature, RWI expects that the new parliament to afford many opportunities for discussions and capacity building.
Though planned oil policies and petroleum regulations will not meet their projected passage on December 16, 2008, the postponement will likely provide time for additional debate between civil society groups and the new parliament, and in turn foster informed and more effective oversight.
