John Dramani Mahama

The death of Ghana's President John Atta Mills on July 24 has left the nation shocked and devastated. International tributes poured in for the late Atta Mills, held up as an incorruptible leader, whose death was termed "sudden and untimely" by Presidential Chief of Staff John Henry Martey Newman, despite reports of his health deteriorating sharply from June.

Many Ghanaians, who grieved in the traditional mourning colors of red and black, have spoken about the humility and honor Atta Mills, 68, brought to the presidency. His passing seemed for a time to have united Ghanaians, including opposition parties, who ceased campaigning for the forthcoming presidential and parliamentary elections in December 2012. Leader of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), main opposition party, Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo-Addo called off a campaign tour and the party also suspended their 20-year anniversary celebration in honor of the only Ghanaian president to have died in office.

Newly sworn in President John Dramani Mahama told the nation: "We must honor him by holding on to the legacy of peace and unity he left behind." Mahama was quick to select Kwesi Amissah-Arthur as his vice president, saying Amissah-Arthur was a chief fundraiser who had contributed greatly to the achievements of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) and was held in high esteem by the late president.

The death of Atta Mills has affected political activities in the country. Many are assiduously campaigning for power in the forthcoming general elections. Analysts have said that the death of the president can change the dynamics of political campaigning in Ghana. Opposition parties have condemned the Atta Mills administration for being slow and achieving little for Ghana. Also having Atta Mills as the leader of the NDC, who doubled as the president, means the opposition parties are prepared to hammer on these points to win power.

Former Ghanaian President, Flt. Lt. J. J. Rawlings, who endorsed Atta Mills to lead the NDC at the displeasure of many in his party, had suddenly turned against him and castigated him many times in public, giving ammunition to the opposition parties to project Atta Mills as a failure.

In early August, the Ghanaian Observer said that Highstreetmail, a leading online journal in Ghana, indicated in their online polls that if elections were held in the months of May/June 2012, the NPP would have won in the first round with 50.3 percent, while the NDC would have gotten 43.8 percent and  the People's Progressive Party (PPP) 3.5 percent of the vote.

But now that Atta Mills is deceased, analysts are saying that the opposition may have to change their campaign strategies, as almost every Ghanaian, including the international community, are singing the praises of the late president in a united public spirit.

The NDC, which formed the government, is in a state of urgency. They need to appoint a party leader and change all the billboards and election promotion materials which bears the name of Atta Mills. Apart from preparing a new election campaign, they also have the responsibility of running the government for the five months leading up to the elections. President Mahama, who was selected to run for president by the National Executive Committee of the NDC, has urged Ghanaians to open up their hearts to tolerate their political opponents, "since they are not enemies."

Dr. Bossman Asare, a political science lecturer at the University of Ghana, predicts that the 2012 presidential election is likely to go into a second round. He has based this on the qualities of the four main candidates of the two leading parties. Dr. Asare also advised the NDC to "make the effort to sell" Amissah Arthur to the Ghanaian people because many people did not know him and were unfamiliar with his track record.

Cognisance of the Rawling's family is another factor for the NDC to take heed of, as both J.J. Rawlings and his wife Nana Konadu have political desires, and an alliance may be in the NDC's best interests. It has been mooted that the Rawlings may launch their own political party to contest the elections.

The NDC is short on time and needs to act swiftly as December looms. In their favor is the speculation that the party will have sympathy votes to appease the late president. One thing is certain, and that is, that Atta Mills in death is uniting the country as he did in life, and this will surely positively impact the 2012 elections.

(Reporting from Ghana)