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Ghana: December elections on track as President Mahama names bank chief as deputy
Ghana President John Dramani Mahama. PHOTO/Issouf Sanogo/AFP
The governing party of Ghana 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 July 24 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 hours after Atta Mills passed away, underscoring the stability of Ghana.
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 some critics say he lacks the name recognition of his predecessor.
President Mahama has nominated Central Bank Governor Paa Kwesi Bekoe Amissah-Arthur as the country’s Vice-President, and a possible running-mate for the December election.
Kwame Boateng, an official in Ghana’s governing party, told reporters Wednesday that a meeting to nominate a candidate has not yet been scheduled.
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.
The December elections are expected to pose “a strong test” of democratic credentials of Ghana. The two leading parties remain evenly matched, as they were in 2008, but the stakes are much higher this time round. The winning party knows it will get to enjoy the best years of Ghana’s oil wealth.”
Atta Mills served as president as Ghana began grappling with how to deal with its newfound oil wealth from offshore fields discovered in the last five years. The country of about 25 million saw a growth rate of more than 14 percent last year.
“We have a national executive council and they will meet and decide what to do, maybe to confirm him as the flag bearer,” Kwame Boateng said at the party headquarters in Accra.
Oheneba Asamoah Atuahene, the governing 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.
President Mills tirelessly worked to improve the lives of the people of Ghana, he helped promote economic growth in Ghana in the midst of challenging global circumstances and strengthened Ghana’s strong tradition of democracy.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press