Government of Ghana

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Government of Ghana
Coat of arms of Ghana.svg
Coat of Arms of the Republic of Ghana
The Golden Jubilee House.jpg
Jubilee House, the official residence and presidential palace in the country.
Government overview
Formed Independence Day
66 years, 11 months
Republic Day
63 years, 7 months
1992 Constitution
31 years, 9 months
TypeParliamentary democracy with executive presidency
Jurisdiction Republic of Ghana
Headquarters Accra, Greater Accra Flag of Ghana.svg
Government executives
Website www.ghana.gov.gh

The Government of Ghana was created as a parliamentary democracy, followed by alternating military and civilian governments in Ghana. In January 1993, military government gave way to the Fourth Republic after presidential and parliamentary elections in late 1992. The 1992 constitution divides powers among a president, parliament, cabinet, council of state, and an independent judiciary. The government is elected by universal suffrage.

Contents

Government

Ghana presidential election, 2012 result according to the Electoral Commission of Ghana. .mw-parser-output .legend{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}.mw-parser-output .legend-color{display:inline-block;min-width:1.25em;height:1.25em;line-height:1.25;margin:1px 0;text-align:center;border:1px solid black;background-color:transparent;color:black}.mw-parser-output .legend-text{} National Democratic Congress New Patriotic Party Ghana Presidential Election Result, 2012.jpg
Ghana presidential election, 2012 result according to the Electoral Commission of Ghana.
  National Democratic Congress
  New Patriotic Party

Political parties became legal in mid-1992 after a ten-year hiatus. There are more than 20 registered political parties under the Fourth Republic. [1] The two main parties are the National Democratic Congress and the New Patriotic Party. The National Democratic Congress is the successor organisation to Jerry John Rawlings' Provisional National Defence Council which was in power from 1981 to 1992. [2]

The New Patriotic Party, found in 1992, is the successor to the Gold Coast's The Big Six independence achiever party United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC); the People's National Convention, and the Convention People's Party, successor to Kwame Nkrumah's original party of the same name, which was the incumbent government of Ghana for 10 years from declaration of independence in 1957 to 1966, winning elections in 1956, 1960, and 1965. [2]

The National Democratic Congress won the presidential and parliamentary elections in 1992, 1996, 2008 and 2012. The New Patriotic Party won the presidential and parliamentary elections in 2000, 2004, and 2016. [3]

Foreign relations

Ghanaian diplomat Kofi Annan served as Secretary-General of the United Nations for nine years until 2006. Kofi Annan at OYW.jpg
Ghanaian diplomat Kofi Annan served as Secretary-General of the United Nations for nine years until 2006.

Since independence, Ghana has been devoted to ideals of nonalignment and is a founding member of the non-aligned movement. Ghana favors international and regional political and economic co-operation, and is an active member of the United Nations and the African Union. [4]

Many Ghanaian diplomats and politicians hold positions in international organisations. These include Ghanaian diplomat and former Secretary-General of the United Nations Kofi Annan, International Criminal Court Judge Akua Kuenyehia, former President Jerry John Rawlings and former President John Agyekum Kuffour who have both served as diplomats of the United Nations. [2]

In September 2010, Ghana's former President John Atta Mills visited China on an official visit. Mills and China's former President Hu Jintao, marked the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two nations, at the Great Hall of the People on 20 September 2010. [5] China reciprocated with a visit in November 2011, by the vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of China, Zhou Tienong who visited Ghana and met with Ghana's President John Dramani Mahama. [6]

Judicial system

The legal system is based on the 1992 constitution, customary (traditional) law, and British common law. Court hierarchy consists of Supreme Court of Ghana (highest court), courts of appeal, and high courts of justice. Beneath these bodies are circuit, magisterial, and traditional courts. Extrajudicial institutions include public tribunals. [2] Since independence, courts are relatively independent; this independence continues under the Republic. Lower courts are being redefined and reorganized under the Republic. [2]

Administrative divisions

There are sixteen administrative regions of the Republic of Ghana which are divided into 6 metropolitan assemblies; 55 Municipal assemblies; and 216 districts, [7] each with its own district assembly. [7] Below districts are various types of councils, including 58 town or area councils; 108 zonal councils; and 626 area councils. [7] Over 16,000 unit committees exist on the lowest level. [2] Ghana has 275 electoral constituencies. [7]

Parliamentary Constituencies of Ghana

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Politics of Ghana</span> The political organization and parties of Ghana

Politics of Ghana takes place in a framework of a presidential representative democratic republic, whereby the president of Ghana is both head of state and head of government, and of a two party system. The seat of government is at Golden Jubilee House. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and Parliament. The judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Patriotic Party</span> Political party in Ghana

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) is a centre-right and liberal-conservative political party in Ghana. Since the democratisation of Ghana in 1992, it has been one of the two dominant parties in Ghanaian politics, with its leading rival being the centre-left National Democratic Congress (NDC). John Kufuor of the NPP was President of Ghana from 2001 to 2009. At the elections held on 7 December 2004, the party won 129 out of 230 seats. The NPP candidate was Kufuor, who was re-elected as president with 52.75% of the vote. The New Patriotic Party symbol is the African elephant and the New Patriotic Party colours are red, white, and blue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jerry Rawlings</span> Leader of Ghana between 1979 and 2001

Jerry John Rawlings was a Ghanaian military officer, aviator and politician who led the country for a brief period in 1979, and then from 1981 to 2001. He led a military junta until 1992, and then served two terms as the democratically elected president of Ghana.

James Victor Gbeho is a Ghanaian lawyer and diplomat who was President of the ECOWAS Commission from 2010 to 2012, to which position he was unanimously elected at the 37th Summit of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the 15 Member States.

Every Ghanaian Living Everywhere (EGLE) is an inactive political party in terms of elections in Ghana. It has not contested any elections since the 2004 Ghanaian general election. According to Ghanaian law, political parties must have a presence in all districts in order to remain registered, but due to lax enforcement, EGLE remains registered as a party as of 2019.

The National Convention Party (NCP) is a political party in Ghana that existed between 1992 and January 1996.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Democratic Congress (Ghana)</span> Political party in Ghana

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) is a social democratic political party in Ghana, founded by Jerry Rawlings, who was Head of State of Ghana from 1981 to 1993 and the President of Ghana from 1993 to 2001. Following the formation of the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC), which ruled Ghana following the military coup d'état on 31 December 1981, there was pressure from the international community to restore democracy. The NDC was formed as the ruling party ahead of elections in 1992, in which Rawlings was elected president, and in 1996 Rawlings was re-elected as the NDC candidate. Rawlings' second term ended in 2001.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parliament of Ghana</span> Parliament in Ghana since 1950

The Parliament of Ghana is the legislative body of the Government of Ghana.

The National Independence Party (NIP) is a defunct political party in Ghana. It was formed in 1992 in the run up to the inauguration of the Fourth Republic of Ghana. The party came to an end in 1993 following a merger with another Nkrumahist party.

Joseph Henry Mensah was a Ghanaian politician and economist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Akua Sena Dansua</span> Ghanaian politician

Akua Sena Dansua is an experienced Ghanaian media and communications consultant, politician and governance and leadership practitioner. She was the Member of Parliament for North Dayi in Ghana and former Ambassador to Germany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Muhammad Mumuni</span> Ghanaian lawyer and politician

Muhammad Mumuni is a Ghanaian lawyer and politician. He was reelected to Ghana's Parliament in the 7 December 2012 General Elections, when he won the Kumbungu Seat. Mumuni left parliament in 2004 when he became John Atta Mills' vice-Presidential running mate.

Joseph Yieleh Chireh is a Ghanaian pharmacist, barrister, diplomat and politician. He is the a former Member for Parliament for Wa West. He served in the 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th parliament of the 4th Republic of Ghana. He is also a Member of the Pan-African Parliament.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Timeline of Ghanaian history</span>

Ghana gained independence from the British on 6 March 1957. It is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. The country became a republic on July 1, 1960.

The National Reconciliation Commission was established in January 2002 by the Parliament of Ghana. The goal of the commission was to establish an "accurate, complete and historical record of violations and abuses of human rights inflicted on persons by public institutions and holders of public office during periods of unconstitutional government." The Commission was formed after a new democratic party won the elections in 2000. The Commission covered human rights violations in Ghana from 1957 to 1993. It looked into government abuses and military coups staged by former president Jerry Rawlings. The members of the Commission worked until the end of 2004.

Modestus Yawo Zebu Ahiable is a Ghanaian politician and a member of parliament for Ketu North of the Volta Region Of Ghana. He also served as Ghana's Ambassador to Benin from 2009 to 2013. He served as Volta Regional Minister from 1993 to 1997 during the Jerry Rawlings government.

Ibrahim Adam is a Ghanaian politician and animal scientist. He was the member of parliament for the Choggo/Tishigu constituency in the Northern Region of Ghana between January 1997 and January 2001.

Yaw Manu-Yeboah is a Ghanaian politician and educationist. He was a member of the First Parliament of the Fourth Republic of Ghana from 1993 to 1997. He was a member of parliament for Sunyani East Constituency in the Brong-Ahafo region of Ghana, under the membership of the National Democratic Congress.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Political history of Ghana</span>

The Political history of Ghana recounts the history of varying political systems that existed in Ghana during pre-colonial times, the colonial era and after independence. Pre-colonial Ghana was made up of several states and ethnic groups whose political system was categorized by 3 main administrative models; Centralized, Non-centralized and Theocratic states. In the colonial era, the British Empire employed different forms of government among its four territorial possessions in the Gold Coast. Indirect rule was implemented in the late 19th century after its success in Northern Nigeria. From the 1940s, native Ghanaians yearned for more autonomy. This resulted in the several constitutional reforms as well as the creation of the office of the Prime Minister in 1952.

References

  1. ↑ "Africa: Ghana". The World Factbook - Central Intelligence Agency. 2017. Retrieved 18 July 2019.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Government and Politics". A Country Study: Ghana (La Verle Berry, editor). Library of Congress Federal Research Division (November 1994). This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain. Lcweb2.loc.gov.
  3. ↑ "Electoral Commission of Ghana". Electoral Commission Ghana Online. Retrieved 27 February 2018.
  4. ↑ "Official page of Nations Permanent Mission of Ghana to the United Nations". United Nations. 20 September 2011. Retrieved 20 May 2012.
  5. ↑ "Hu Jintao Holds Talks with President of Ghana Mills". Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China. 20 September 2010. Retrieved 4 January 2012.
  6. ↑ Deng, Shasha (12 November 2011). "Visiting senior Chinese official lauds Ghana for political stability, national unity". Xinhua. Archived from the original on 9 September 2013. Retrieved 13 November 2011.
  7. 1 2 3 4 "Ghana at a glance". Government of Ghana. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
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