Election is not a do-or-die affair in Ghana, its President, John Kufuor, said on Sunday in his counsel to voters in the rerun poll to choose his successor.

Nana Akufo-Addo of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) and John Atta Mills of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) both hope to succeed Kuffuor, who has served two terms.

Addo defeated his rival by a slender margin in the first round on December 7 but not enough for an outright win.

Addo, who won the first round with 49 per cent of the vote, expressed confidence of winning the second.

"My chances are bright. I won the first round, as you know, and in principle I will be the leader in the second round.

"What is important is for the Ghanaian people to make their choice in peace, and in tranquillity," he said.

After Mills cast his ballot in Accra, he said he hoped the voting would be smooth and carried out properly.

"We don't want any rigging, we don't want any cheating. I am confident of winning."

Kuffor told reporters after voting at Ayawaso polling station, a few minutes' walk from his residence in Accra, that wars are fought with deadly weapons while election battles are fought with ballot papers.

"If elections are war, then ballot papers will not be enough. We would have come with our knives, cudgels, and guns," he stated after casting his ballot at about 10.25 a.m. (11.25 a.m. Nigerian time).

He did on a day his predecessor, Jerry Rawlings, also urged eternal vigilance among voters, reminding them that democratic change must come through a price, which they have to pay if they desire a better life.

Kuffuor refused to publicly support either candidate and said he would take the back seat from partisan politics and play the statesman after handing over power to "whoever Ghanaians elect."

Both parties have made accusations of vote-rigging, but election officials say the poll went smoothly.

Voting was orderly and the election generally peaceful in most areas, but voters were not as enthusiastic as they were three weeks ago when turn-out was higher.

Collation of results was going on at press time, with some being announced by the media ahead of the final one to be made by the Electoral Commission of Ghana (ECG).

Jendayi Frazer, U.S. Assistant Secretary for African Affairs, who has been in Ghana since December 26, told reporters that though she could not totally discountenance complaints of malpractices, she did not witness any in the areas she monitored, neither has any been confirmed to her by international and local observers.