Ghanaians mourn death of president

John Mahama, the former deputy President of Ghana, was sworn in as the fourth president shortly after the announcement of the unexpected death of President John Evans Atta Mills Mills’ death on Tuesday evening in a smooth political transition.Mrs. Joyce Bamford-Addo, the Speaker of Ghanaian Parliament announced in the House that Mr. John Mahama would be the President of the Republic of Ghana. Later, Mahama read the oath of the President under the administration of the Chief Justice Georgina Theodora Wood in the presence of the members of Parliament.The Chief of Staff at the Presidency Henry Martey Newman announced the death of the president, saying he died at the 37 Military hospital in the capital while receiving medical attention after being taken ill. Mr. Mahama said Mills died on 14:15 (GMT) in the hospital after he was sent there in the noon.President John Mahama takes over the remaining term of John Evans Atta Mills according to Ghana’s Constitution 1992.In his first address as the President, Mahama expressed the condolence to Mills’ family and said the final tribute to Mills is to “maintain the unity, peace and stability of the nation. “He declared the whole country mourning and all flags must fly at half mast.Mr. John Mahama was first elected to the Parliament of Ghana in 1996. In April 1997, he was appointed Deputy Minister of Communications. In 2000, Mahama was re-elected for another four- year term as the Member of Parliament. He was again re-elected in 2004 for a third term. From 2001 to 2004, Mahama served as the Minority Parliamentary Spokesman for Communications. In 2002, he was appointed the Director of Communications for the National Democratic Congress. From 2009, he served as the deputy President of the Republic of Ghana.“It is with a heavy heart ... that we announce the sudden and untimely death of the president of the Republic of Ghana,” the president’s office said, adding that Mills had died a few hours after being taken ill, without further details.The 68-year-old president complained of pains Monday evening and was rushed to hospital Tuesday noon when his condition worsened, a source close to the president said.He was in the United States for nine days in June for a medical check-up amid swirling rumors about his ill health.Women were seen wailing at the 37 Military Hospital, while crowds of high-ranking government and military officials looked perplexed, shocked and confused.Mills’ unexpected death came only five months before he was due to stand for re-election in December. In line with Ghana’s constitution, Vice President John Dramani Mahama was sworn in as head of state Tuesday evening, a few hours after the announcement of Mills’ death.In his first presidential address, Mahama expressed condolences to Mills’ family and said the final tribute to the late president was to “maintain the unity, peace and stability of the nation.” Mahama will serve as caretaker president until presidential and parliamentary elections at the end of the year.