The World Lebanese Cultural Union has joined many others to pay tribute to former Ghana President, Jerry John Rawlings.

The former head of State died on Thursday morning after a short illness. He was 73.

In a statement signed by the president, Dr Chakib Rammal, the group expressed its “deepest and heartfelt condolences to the Rawlings family, and to the people of Ghana” and stated that the first president of the fourth republic “was a great charismatic figure who shaped Ghana and brought stability to our nation.”

“A leader, a champion, and an honorary gentleman whose legacy will forever live in our hearts,” it added.

Meanwhile, the President, Nana Akufo-Addo has declared seven days of national mourning following his death.

He has also ordered flags across the country to be flown at half-mast.

The orders are to take effect from tomorrow, Friday, November 13, 2020, to Friday, November 20, 2020.

“I have directed that all national flags should fly at half-mast for the next seven (7) days in all parts of the country, and have declared seven days of national mourning from Friday, 13th November to Friday, 20th November,” the President said in a statement.

Leaders of the two major political parties, the New Patriotic Party and the National Democratic Congress have all suspended campaign activities to mourn the death of the former President.




About Jerry John Rawlings

Jerry John Rawlings was born on June 22, 1947.

He was a former military leader and subsequent politician who ruled Ghana from 1981 to 2001 and also a brief period in 1979.

He led a military junta until 1992, and then served two terms as the democratically elected President of Ghana.

Rawlings initially came to power in Ghana as a flight lieutenant of the Ghana Air Force following a coup d’état in 1979.

Prior to that, he led an unsuccessful coup attempt against the ruling military government on 15 May 1979, just five weeks before scheduled democratic elections were due to take place.

After initially handing power over to a civilian government, he took back control of the country on 31 December 1981 as the Chairman of the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC).



In 1992, Rawlings resigned from the military, founded the National Democratic Congress (NDC), and became the first President of the Fourth Republic. He was re-elected in 1996 for four more years.

After two terms in office, the limit according to the Ghanaian Constitution, Rawlings endorsed his Vice-President John Atta Mills as presidential candidate in 2000.