Originally published by the Voice of America (www.voanews.com). Voice of America is funded by the US Federal Government and content it exclusively produces is in the public domain. January 3, 2009 Opposition Candidate Wins Ghanaian Presidency --------------------------------------------- http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=2149E7E:A6F02AD83191E160A32274F1892BE95021A4E82C900CD027& John Atta-Mills gets 50.23 percent of vote, narrowly beating ruling-party candidate Nana Akufo-Addo President-elect John Atta-Mills addresses party supporters shortly after being declared winner of the runoff presidential election in Accra, 03 Jan 2009Tax law professor John Atta-Mills is Ghana's next president. The opposition candidate won a hard-fought, much-delayed election that was ultimately decided by fewer than 50,000 votes. With results in from Ghana's final electoral constituency, Atta-Mills won with 50.23 percent of the vote, narrowly beating ruling-party candidate Nana Akufo-Addo's 49.77 percent. Electoral Commission Chairman Kwado Afari-Gyan named Atta-Mills the winner."On the basis of the official results given, it is my duty to declare Professor John Evans Atta-Mills president-elect," said Afari-Gyan. In his third run at the presidency, Atta-Mills withstood two rounds of voting and a special election in a single constituency Friday to claim victory over the ruling party of outgoing president John Kufuor. The 64-year-old lawyer also led his National Democratic Congress party to big gains in parliament, ending the ruling National Patriotic Party's legislative majority by winning 114 of the 228 seats in Ghana's parliament. Atta-Mills narrowly lost the first round of voting December 7. But because no candidate received more than 50 percent of the votes cast, he and Akufo-Addo went head-to-head last Sunday in a vote that was to decide the winner. ECOWAS observer watches woman casting her vote in Nkawas, in Tain constituency, 02 Jan 2009That all changed when a shortage of ballot papers in the remote Tain district forced another round of voting there Friday. With nearly nine million ballots cast, Atta-Mills led by just 23,000 votes. The ruling party boycotted Tain's delayed voting over what it said were security concerns. But the poll went ahead with no reported problems as hundreds of soldiers and police were deployed to keep order. Atta-Mills won by nearly 18,000 votes, securing his victory. Both parties accused the other of vote fraud, but! Electoral Chairman Afari-Gyan said the commission did not find the ev idence provided sufficient to invalidate the overall result. Before the winner was announced, President Kufuor appealed for calm, saying all candidates should yield to the electoral commissioner's authority so as to meet the constitutional timetable of handing-over power on January 7. President Kufuor said any outstanding issues can be settled later by due process. Atta-Mills is a former national tax commissioner. He served as vice president to Jerry Rawlings, who came to power in a coup 27 years ago. Mr. Rawlings introduced some economic and political reforms before handing over to President Kufuor eight years ago. Atta-Mills is from Ghana's central region. He studied law at London's School of Oriental and African Studies and at Stanford Law School in California as a Fulbright scholar. His campaign website says he is an avid swimmer who played on Ghana's national hockey team. He and wife Ernestina Naadu Mills have a 19-year-old son. .