Despite opposition, Vodafone confident of Ghana Telecom takeover

Vodafone is confident that its €565 million (450 million pounds) purchase of a 70% stake in state-owned Ghana Telecom will be completed, a Dow Jones report said.

Earlier, reports said opposition members in Ghana blocked Vodafone's purchase.

'The parliament (in Ghana) has gone into recess for the summer. The motion before parliament wasn't passed. However, whenever parliament returns, we'll continue to talk to all sides,' Vodafone spokesman Mark Pursey, quoted by Dow Jones report, said.

'We believe this is a good deal for Ghana and we're confident that when parliament returns, it will be agreed,' he added.

With the Ghanaian parliament going into its summer recess, Vodafone is now likely to have to wait until October to get clearance for the deal, the report said.

The deal has been heavily criticized by Ghana's main opposition party, the National Democratic Congress, which believes that Vodafone's acquisition is not in the national interest, the report said.