He said the well-administered and transparent election held in Ghana by the Electoral Commission (EC) had escaped the violence which many had feared. At a press conference in Accra on Friday, the Chief Observer, in a preliminary report, said Ghana held a competitive but overall well-managed election.

The EU EOM added that the misuse of incumbency including unequal access to state media and unaccountable campaign financing were areas Ghana could address in future. Mr Meszerics, who is a member of the European Parliament, said: “In the evolution of its democracy since 1992, Ghana has passed the benchmark for credible, inclusive and transparent elections. From now it can focus on those areas which continue to give rise for concern.”

He said the EU EOM deployed 24 long-term observers to all 10 regions of Ghana on November 6 with their activities complemented by 32 short-term observers deployed on December 4. The observers, he said, were joined by 16 observers from EU and EU-partner embassies in Ghana and delegation of six members of the European Parliament.

Mr Eduard Kukan, the Head of the EU Parliament Delegation, said: “The day after the results are announced, everyone has to play their respective roles, both government and opposition, in a constructive way for the benefit of all Ghanaians and the future prosperity of the country.

“We believe that the future would be better served by greater participation of women in the highest levels of Ghana’s political life. From a big field of presidential and parliamentary candidates, we saw too few women, which is a symptom of culture and systemic impediment and exclusion,” Mr Kukan said.

The EU EOM observers follow the entire electoral process in Ghana before, during and after voting including any disputes that may subsequently arise.  A final report will be presented some two months after the announcement of results.