By Kwasi Kpodo
ACCRA (Reuters) - Opposition candidate John Atta Mills of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) held a narrow lead in Ghana's closely fought presidential election run-off, the country's top private broadcaster Joy FM said Monday.
The radio, citing certified returns from polling stations from 205 of the 230 national constituencies that voted on Sunday, put Mills ahead as both contenders' camps threatened not to accept some results because of alleged "irregularities."
Joy FM said Mills had 51.35 percent, against 48.65 percent for Nana Akufo-Addo of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP).
But the electoral race in the world's No. 2 cocoa grower, which will start producing oil in 2010, was still close and some of the remaining constituencies to be tallied were NPP strongholds, local election experts said.
Sunday's Ghana run-off came at the end of what many see as a tough year for constitutional democracy in Africa, tarnished by flawed elections in Kenya and Zimbabwe and military coups, in Mauritania in August, and in Guinea over the last week.
Many have been hoping that Ghana, which has become a recent favourite with investors on a turbulent continent, can buck the trend by holding successful elections to replace President John Kufuor, who leaves office in January after serving two terms.
Ghana's electoral regulations allow the media to announce certified results from constituencies as they are collated.
But only the electoral commission can declare final results or the winner. The commission was expected to release provisional results indicating a trend later Monday.
Unlike the peaceful December 7 first round, which was widely praised by international observers but failed to produce an outright winner, election monitors reported cases of disorder, intimidation and even violence in several regions Sunday.
Police said this included attempted snatching of ballot boxes and several arrests were made.
LOWER TURNOUT SEEN
The United States' top diplomat for Africa, Jendayi Frazer, who Sunday praised Ghana as a "model of democracy" because of its repeated successful elections, told the BBC she was concerned about the reported election incidents.
Frazer, the U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, was in Accra to witness the run-off.
Presidential rivals Mills and Akufo-Addo are both foreign-trained lawyers and both are 64. They have vowed to maintain the stability and growth which have made the former British Gold Coast colony a magnet for investment.
Sunday's turnout of voters at Ghana's polling stations, which were guarded by soldiers and police, appeared lighter than three weeks ago.
Some analysts had said a lower turnout -- traditional in second rounds -- could boost the chances of the NDC's Mills.
In the first round, Akufo-Addo finished with just over 49 percent, more than one percentage point ahead of Mills, but he failed to gain the more than 50 percent of votes needed to win.
Analysts see possible risks after Sunday's vote, which follows the NPP losing its majority in parliament in legislative elections on December 7.
They say whichever candidate wins would have to work with a politically split parliament at a time when the country faces high inflation, a growing budget deficit, unemployment and falling remittances and aid during a global economic downturn.
(Writing by Pascal Fletcher; Editing by Katie Nguyen)
