John Kufuor was sworn in Accra on Sunday as Ghana's new president, ending almost two decades of rule by Jerry Rawlings and kicking off a new political era in the West African country.
The incoming head of state, draped in traditional kente cloth, swore to be faithful and true to the Republic of Ghana and to uphold the constitution.
Also sworn in was vice president Aliju Mahama, a muslim, who took his oath of office in the name of Allah. The event, in a forecourt festooned with the national colurs of red, gold and green, was witnessed by Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo as well as his counterparts from Senegal, Burkina Faso and Togo and South African deputy president Jacob Zuma.
Kufuor, backed by the longtime opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), defeated Rawlings' designated successor John Atta Mills, the incumbent vice president, in elections last month. The inauguration followed the swearing in of a new 200-strong parliament, including 100 members of the NPP. Bureau Report