This is the first time that a president has died while in office in Ghana. In a country hailed as a solid democracy, John Atta Mills' sudden death should not spark a political crisis but will certainly test the country's democratic institutions.
As Vice-President John Dramani Mahama steps in as interim head of state, the question people are asking in the Ghanaian capital Accra is: "Who is going to run for president with the ruling party in December?"
Mr Atta Mills had just been nominated by the National Democratic Congress to stand for a second term. But his nomination had illustrated a split within the ruling party with Nana Konadu Agyemang-Rawlings, the wife of former ruler Jerry Rawlings, who leads a faction critical of Atta Mills' management.
Mr Atta Mills' health has always been a subject of great debate in Ghana, even before he took office in 2009. But his illness was never officially confirmed and Mr Atta Mills himself insisted he was doing well.
Source: Thomas Fessy - BBC West Africa correspondent
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