President of Ghana

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President of the Republic of Ghana
Official seal
Incumbent John Atta Mills since January 7, 2009
Style	Honorable (Within Ghana ) His Excellency (Outside Ghana)
Residence	Golden Jubilee House
Term length	Four years, renewable once
Inaugural holder	Jerry John Rawlings January 7, 1993
Formation	1992 Constitution May 15, 1992
Website	www.ghana.gov.gh

The President of Ghana is the elected head of state and head of government of Ghana. Officially styled President of the Republic of Ghana and Commander-in-Chief of the Ghanaian Armed Forces. The current President of Ghana is Prof. John Atta Mills, who took office in January 2009.

Eligibility

According to Chapter 8. Article 62 of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana,a person shall not be qualified for election as the President of Ghana unless -

(a) he is a citizen of Ghana by birth (or both parents must have been born in Ghana);

(b) he has attained the age of forty years; and

(c) he is a person who is otherwise qualified to be elected a Member of Parliament, except that the disqualifications set out in paragraphs (c),

(d), and (e) of clause (2) of article 94 of this Constitution shall not be removed, in respect of any such person, by a presidential pardon or by the lapse of time as provided for in clause (5) of that article.

Oath of office

The president of Ghana must be sworn in by the Chief Justice before people of Ghana at the Independence Square in Accra. The president-elect must repeat the following:

I, _______________ having been elected to the high office of President of the Republic of Ghana do (in the name of the Almighty God swear) (solemnly affirm) that I will be faithful and true to the Republic of Ghana; that I will at all times preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the Republic of Ghana; and that I dedicate myself to the service and well-being of the people of the Republic of Ghana and to do right to all manner of persons. I further (solemnly swear) (solemnly affirm) that should I at any time break this oath of office I shall submit myself to the laws of the Republic of Ghana and suffer the penalty for it. (So help me God.)

Residence

The president of Ghana's formal residence was the Osu Castle in Accra. In 2007, the opposition MPs in Ghana stormed out of a parliamentary debate on whether to take out a $50m loan to build a new presidential palace. MPs from President John Kufuor's New Patriotic Party voted unanimously in favour of taking the loan from India.

Current Residence of The President

They argued that the president should not be based in Osu Castle, where slaves used to be kept. The opposition National Democratic Congress said the money would be better spent elsewhere. The old flagstaff house used by Ghana's first president as residence is being renovated into a museum, while the grounds on which it stands is being built up as an ultra modern office complex and residence for the president and vice-president of Ghana as well as their staff. The new presidential palace was expected to be completed by August 2008 but was finally completed in November 2008.

At the inauguration of the new presidential palace, President John Kufuor revealed to the press that the new name of palace would be Golden Jubilee House. The chosen name had drawn lots of criticism from Ghanaians in the country and abroad .The name was chosen in reference to the 50th anniversary of Ghana's Independence. Many Ghanaians considered this move a waste especially with Ghana's economy in serious trouble by the then NPP Government.

Insignia

After the oath of office has been taken by the elected president, these following insignia are handed over to the president. These devices are used to display the rank of his office and are used on special occasions.

• President's Sword (image)

See also

• List of heads of state of Ghana