1956 Gold Coast general election

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1956 Gold Coast general election
Flag of the Gold Coast (1877-1957).svg
  1954 17 July 1956 1965  

All 104 seats in the Legislative Assembly
53 seats needed for a majority
PartyLeaderVote %Seats+/–
CPP Kwame Nkrumah 57.1071−1
NLM J. B. Danquah 20.8912New
NPP Simon Diedong Dombo 10.39150
Togoland Congress Senyo Gatror Antor 2.922−1
MAP Bankole Awoonor-Renner
Cobina Kessie
1.5910
Federation of Youth Modesto Apaloo 1.5410
Independents 5.572−9
This lists parties that won seats. See the complete results below.
A voter receives a ballot paper from a polling assistant at Kumbungu Polling Station in the Northern Territories. The National Archives UK - CO 1069-53-74-1-001.jpg
A voter receives a ballot paper from a polling assistant at Kumbungu Polling Station in the Northern Territories.

General elections were held in the Gold Coast (soon to become Ghana) on 17 July 1956. The result was a victory for Kwame Nkrumah's Convention People's Party, which won 71 of the 104 seats. [1]

Contents

A new constitution, approved on 29 April 1954, established a cabinet composed of African ministers drawn from an all-African legislature chosen by direct election. In the elections that followed, the Convention People's Party won the majority of seats in the new Legislative Assembly.

Background

A new constitution, approved on 29 April 1954, established a cabinet composed of African ministers drawn from an all-African legislature chosen by direct election. In the elections that followed, the Convention People's Party won the majority of seats in the new Legislative Assembly. In May 1956, Prime Minister Nkrumah's government issued a white paper containing proposals for Gold Coast independence. The British Government stated it would agree to a firm date for independence if a reasonable majority for such a step were obtained in the Gold Coast Legislative Assembly after a general election.

Results

PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Convention People's Party 398,14157.1071–1
National Liberation Movement 145,65720.8912New
Northern People's Party 72,44010.39150
Togoland Congress 20,3522.922–1
Muslim Association Party 11,1111.5910
Federation of Youth 10,7451.5410
Independents38,8115.572–9
Total697,257100.001040
Registered voters/turnout1,392,874
Source: Nohlen et al.

Aftermath

After pro-independence parties won a convincing majority, the British government agreed to grant the colony independence. This happened on 6 March 1957, with the country renamed Ghana. Initially a constitutional monarchy with Elizabeth II as head of State, the country's democratic credentials were hampered by the Preventive Detention Act (1958). In 1960 a referendum resulted in the country becoming a republic with a presidential form of government, and in 1964 it became a one-party state. Nkrumah was eventually overthrown in 1966.

See also

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References

  1. Dieter Nohlen, Michael Krennerich & Bernhard Thibaut (1999) Elections in Africa: A data handbook, p435 ISBN   0-19-829645-2