UN Secretary-General Ban Ki- moon Sunday extended his warm congratulation to the people and government of Ghana on "the peaceful and orderly resolution of the recently concluded presidential and legislative elections."
Ban, in a statement issued by his spokesperson, said that he "acknowledges the dedication and professionalism of Ghana's Electoral Commission, which has skillfully managed the process."
"He commends the political parties and their leadership for their statesmanlike conduct during the final stages of this exercise," the statement said.
"Ghanaians can and should take pride in this democratic achievement," the statement said. "With their continuing show of commitment to the democratic process, Ghana and its leaders are setting an admirable example."
Voting in Ghana's presidential and parliamentary elections ended generally peacefully at 1700 GMT on Dec. 7, 2008 throughout the West African country. About 12.5 million Ghanaians went to the polls to elect a president and 230 parliamentarians in what was described as a contest among four front-running political parties - -the New Patriotic, National Democratic Congress, People's National Convention, and Convention People's Party.