Ghana President's Death Shakes up December Vote
Ghana's governing party vowed Wednesday to carry out the "unfinished job" of the country's late president as questions swirled about who would replace him on the ticket for December's election.
John Atta Mills, who took power in 2009 after winning a presidential runoff vote by a razor-thin margin, died Tuesday at the age of 68. There was no immediate word on the cause of his death, though there had been rumors about a serious illness in recent months.
Vice President John Mahama was sworn in late Tuesday only hours after Atta Mills passed away, underscoring the West African nation's stability in a part of the world where the deaths of other leaders have sparked coups.
Atta Mills' death, though, could harm his party's chances of staying in power in December's vote. Some already have speculated that the 53-year-old Mahama may become the party's nominee, although analysts say he lacks the name recognition of his predecessor.
Nana Akufo-Addo, who came in second in the 2008 election with 49.77 percent of the vote, is running again. His party has temporarily suspended campaigning during the period of national mourning.
Kwame Agyenim-Boateng, an official in the governing party, told reporters Wednesday that a meeting to nominate a candidate has not yet been scheduled. "We have a national executive council and they will meet and decide what to do, maybe to confirm him as the flag bearer," Agyenim-Boateng said at the party headquarters in Accra.
Oheneba Asamoah Atuahene, a party chairman in Kumasi, said the party would work to carry out Atta Mills' legacy. "We are going to finish his unfinished job," he said.
Words of condolences continued pouring in from world leaders, including U.S. President Barack Obama. "President Mills tirelessly worked to improve the lives of the Ghanaian people," Obama said in a statement. "He helped promote economic growth in Ghana in the midst of challenging global circumstances and strengthened Ghana's strong tradition of democracy."
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