Mills, who was only months away from completing his first term in office, cancelled meetings and was taken to hospital at midday on Tuesday suffering from an unspecified illness. A statement from the president's office, signed by the chief of staff, confirmed his death several hours later, after growing speculation and a near communications blackout in the capital city, Accra. "It is with a heavy heart that we announce the sudden and untimely death of the president of the republic of Ghana," the statement said. The announcement prompted an outpouring of grief as people across the political divide united in paying their respects. "This is our president who has died in office, we join all Ghanaians in mourning, we send our deepest condolences to his wife and family," said Jake Obetsebi Lamptey, the chairman of the opposition New Patriotic party. "As a mark of respect, the party is suspending all its activities." MPs were summoned to Ghana's parliament house to swear in John Dramani Mahama, the former vice president, and given reassurances that the death of Mills would not spark a constitutional crisis. No president has ever died in office in the history of Ghana, which gained independence from Britain in 1957. Mahama, who made an emotional speech describing Mills as a "father, friend, mentor and ... senior comrade", said that the country was "deeply saddened and distraught" and declared one week of mourning in Ghana. News of the president's death follows weeks of rumours about his health, prompted by