Nairobi/Accra  - Polls closed Friday evening in the last Ghanaian constituency to cast its ballots in a run-off presidential election that has become increasingly tinged with controversy.

The remote farming constituency of Tain, which has just over 53,000 registered voters, could not complete its vote in Sunday's presidential run-off election after problems distributing the ballots.

John Atta Mills of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) holds a 23,055-vote lead over Nana Akufo-Addo of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), meaning that the constituency has the power to decide who wins.

Atta Mills won Tain in the inconclusive first round in early December with 16,211 votes to 14,935 for Akufo-Addo.

Dhaka - The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) of former premier Khaleda Zia on Friday questioned the neutrality of international elections observers during Monday's polls, in which the party faced an embarrassing defeat.

"Their observations were never intensive; how could they (foreign observers) claim that the polls were free and fair without visiting majority of polling stations?" Khandaker Delwar Hossain, secretary general of the party, told reporters.

Dhaka - Bangladesh's prime minister-elect Sheikh Hasina Wazed said Wednesday she hoped her new cabinet would be sworn in to office within the first week of the New Year.

"I hope the oath taking ceremony will take place within the first week of January after President's invitation to do so," Hasina told reporters after a meeting with President Iajuddin Ahmed at the presidential Bangabhaban palace in the evening.

Nairobi/Accra - Ghana's electoral commission Tuesday evening refused to declare a winner in the West African nation's run-off presidential election, saying it would have to re-run one constituency in early January.

Partial results put John Atta Mills of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) on 50.13 per cent of the vote versus 49.87 per cent for Nana Akufo-Addo of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) with 229 out of 230 constituencies counted.

Nairobi/Accra  - Ghana was anxiously waiting for presidential election results to be declared Tuesday after the electoral commission delayed its announcement to discuss alleged irregularities with the competing parties.

Partial results from the electoral commission put John Atta Mills of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) on 52.3 per cent of the vote versus 47.7 per cent for Nana Akufo-Addo of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) with 220 out of 230 constituencies counted.

Local media have projected a win for Atta Mills, who has already claimed victory.

Dhaka  - Bangladesh's Awami League-led alliance of former premier Sheikh Hasina Wazed was heading for a landslide victory in Monday's general elections, according to results coming in to the Election Commission from across the country.

Out of 299 seats, the alliance won the 151 necessary to form a government, and was leading in most of the remaining constituencies. Political analysts said the number of Awami League-led alliance seats in parliament may surpass 200.