Boost for Ghana's ruling party

Boost for Ghana's ruling party

The governing New Patriotic Party in Ghana has won a crucial by-election to win control of Parliament, the second this month, making it easier for the government to get its legislation through.

Kofi Ada an economist won two-thirds of the votes in the election in Navrongo central constituency in the troubled northern region of Ghana.

President Kuffour's (l) enjoys success in face of high prices

The result of the election, contested by three other parties, means that the NPP has 101seats in Parliament out of a total of 200.

The BBC's Kwaku Sakyi-Addo in Ghana says that the party had campaigned hard to win the election to make it easier for the government to pass its legislation.

The by-election on Tuesday was brought about by the death of the previous MP in a car crash.

The poll happened almost a year after the king of the Dagomba was murdered, which plunged northern Ghana into chaos and scores of deaths.

Winning streak

Our correspondent says some opposition parties have accused the ruling party of bribing voters, a claim which officials have dismissed as frivolous.

Tuesday's victory is the second parliamentary by-election the NPP has won this month.

A third is due in two weeks in a southern constituency which was held by the NPP but became vacant after yet another MP died in a car accident.

Our correspondent adds that it is ironic that the ruling party is making such gains at a time when President John Kufuor has introduced a two fold increase in the price of fuel which has in turn raised the cost of transportation and consumers goods.

Mr Kufuor is midway through his first term in office and both supporters and his government see the by-elections successes as a vote of confidence in their performance, our correspondents adds.