International
Former President Mahama won the Ghanaian presidential elections with 56.55% of the vote
The former president and leader of the Ghanaian opposition, John Dramani Mahama (2012-2017), won the presidential elections last Saturday by achieving 56.55% of the votes, according to the results published this Monday by the Electoral Commission.
Mahama, leader of the center-left Democratic National Congress (NDC), prevailed over his main rival, the country’s vice president, Mahamudu Bawumia, of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP, center-right), who won 41.61% of the vote.
At an event in the capital, Accra, the president of the Electoral Commission, Jean Mensa, said that the results correspond to 267 of the country’s 276 electoral constituencies.
However, Mensa remarked that, even if Bawumia got all the votes in the remaining nine constituencies, that would not change the victory by an absolute majority of the former 66-year-old.
“We have carried out fair, credible, transparent and peaceful elections,” said the president, adding that participation stood at 60.9%.
Bawumia already admitted defeat in the elections on Sunday and congratulated the former president as the winner of elections marked by the country’s serious economic crisis.
“The data from our own internal compilation indicate that the former president, his excellency John Dramani Mahama, has won the elections decisively,” said the 61-year-old vice president in a message addressed to the nation.
Bawumia promised Mahama his “full support in the transition process” and indicated that the NDC has also won the parliamentary elections.
“I make this concession speech before the official announcement of the Electoral Commission to avoid more tensions and preserve the peace of our country. It is important that the global investment community continues to believe in the peaceful and democratic character of Ghana,” the vice president said.
Four-year term
About 18.7 million voters, out of a total population of about 35 million people, were called to elect the president and 276 members of the unicameral Parliament for a four-year term, in the ninth general elections since the country became a multiparty democracy in the 1990s.
The outgoing president, Nana Akufo-Addo, did not compete after completing the maximum of two terms allowed by the Constitution.
The day was generally spent in peace, with the exception of some isolated events, such as a shooting in the north of the country that caused one death and one injury by an electoral dispute.
Twelve candidates participated in the race for the presidency, but the competition really focused on Bawumia and Mahama.
Bawumia aspired to a victory with which the NPP would have achieved an unprecedented third consecutive term in the government, and to make history as Ghana’s first Muslim president.
Ghana, a major producer of gold and cocoa, is facing its worst economic crisis in years, with a very high public debt that has forced this West African country to apply for a loan of 3 billion dollars from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Bawumia, an economist by profession, blamed during the election campaign the covid-19 pandemic and the effects of the war between Russia and Ukraine as causes of the slowdown in the national economy, which was “going well” before 2020.
In the campaign, Mahama, who lost the 2016 and 2020 elections to Akufo-Addo, argued that economic challenges and high unemployment – especially among young people – show that “Ghana is at a crossroads and needs a restart.”
The vote of Ghana, one of the most stable democracies on the African continent, had electoral observation missions from international organizations such as the African Union (AU) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECEWAS).
In its preliminary report on the elections published on Monday, the AU mission concluded that “the electoral process in general was in accordance with regional and international standards, which reinforced Ghana’s democratic credentials.”
International
Iranian leader warns foreign powers have “no place” in Strait of Hormuz
Iran’s Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, said Thursday that the Persian Gulf is entering a new era marked by a “bright” future without the presence of the United States in the region.
His remarks came during the commemoration of Persian Gulf Day, amid ongoing regional tensions following recent military confrontations involving Iran, the United States, and Israel.
“Today, two months after the largest military buildup and aggression by the bullies of the world in the region and the humiliating defeat of the United States, a new chapter is being written for the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz,” Khamenei stated.
The Iranian leader insisted that the future of the region would be free from American influence and focused instead on the internal development and prosperity of Gulf nations.
“By the power and strength of God, the bright future of the Persian Gulf region will be a future without the United States and dedicated to the progress, welfare, and prosperity of its nations,” he said.
Khamenei also questioned the effectiveness of U.S. military bases in the region, arguing that they do not provide security even for Washington’s allies.
“Foreigners who come from thousands of miles away and commit evil and malicious acts have no place there except at the bottom of its waters,” he declared.
In addition, the Iranian leader defended new measures being prepared by Tehran to regulate maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, including fees for vessels passing through the strategic waterway. According to Khamenei, the policies would generate economic benefits and greater stability for the region.
Regional tensions remain high following the conflict that erupted on February 28 between the United States and Israel against Iran, leading to strategic blockades in the Strait of Hormuz, a route through which nearly 20% of the world’s oil supply previously passed. The situation has disrupted maritime trade and contributed to rising global oil prices.
Central America
U.S. and Regional Allies Back Panama Amid Dispute With China
The United States, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Guyana, Paraguay and Trinidad and Tobago issued a joint statement in support of Panama’s sovereignty, arguing that China’s recent actions represent an attempt to politicize maritime trade and undermine the sovereignty of nations in the hemisphere.
“We are closely monitoring China’s selective economic pressure and recent actions affecting vessels flying the Panamanian flag,” the statement released Tuesday said. “Panama is a pillar of our maritime trading system and, as such, must remain free from undue external pressure.”
The statement comes amid growing tensions surrounding the Panama Canal and the operation of key ports linked to global trade.
At the end of January, Panama’s Supreme Court invalidated the legal framework supporting the 1997 concession that granted Panama Ports Company, a subsidiary of CK Hutchison, the right to operate the Balboa and Cristóbal terminals located on the Pacific and Atlantic entrances of the Panama Canal.
The ruling followed mounting pressure from the United States to curb Chinese influence around the strategic waterway, through which roughly 5% of global maritime trade passes.
CK Hutchison, which managed the ports for nearly three decades, rejected the court’s decision and accused Panamanian authorities of illegally confiscating its assets. The company has launched international arbitration proceedings against Panama, seeking more than $2 billion in damages.
Following the court ruling, reports emerged of increased detentions and inspections of Panamanian-flagged vessels in China, actions widely viewed as retaliatory measures.
On Wednesday, China’s Foreign Ministry dismissed the joint statement as “completely unfounded and misleading,” accusing the United States of politicizing port operations and warning that Beijing would take steps to protect its interests in Panama.
International
King Charles III Says U.S.-UK Alliance Is “Irreplaceable and Unbreakable”
King Charles III of the United Kingdom reaffirmed the strength of the British-American relationship on Tuesday during a speech before the United States Congress, describing the alliance between the two nations as “irreplaceable and unbreakable.”
The address, delivered at the Capitol, marked the first speech by a British monarch before Congress since Queen Elizabeth II in 1991 and comes at a time of political tensions between Donald Trump’s administration and the Labour government of Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
“As President Trump himself observed during his state visit to Britain last autumn, the bond of kinship and identity between the United States and the United Kingdom is invaluable and eternal. It is irreplaceable and unbreakable,” the king said.
While reflecting on the upcoming 250th anniversary of U.S. independence, which will be commemorated this year, Charles III stated that the partnership between the two countries “was born out of disagreement, but is no less strong because of it.”
The monarch emphasized the democratic values shared by both nations and noted that major global changes have occurred whenever the two allies found common ground.
“When we have found that way to agree, great changes have taken place not only for the benefit of our peoples, but for all peoples,” he said.
King Charles also quoted British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who recently described the relationship as “an indispensable alliance.”
Concluding his speech, the monarch described the shared history of the United States and the United Kingdom as “a story of reconciliation, renewal, and an extraordinary partnership.”
He added that Washington and London have forged “one of the most consequential alliances in human history.”
“I pray with all my heart that our alliance continues to defend our shared values, together with our partners in Europe, the Commonwealth, and around the world, and that we ignore calls urging us to become increasingly isolationist,” Charles III stated.
The king ended by urging both nations to “recommit to one another in selfless service to our peoples and to all peoples of the world.”
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