The
Parliament of Ghana is the
legislative bodyA legislature is a kind of deliberative assembly with the power to pass, amend, and repeal laws. The law created by a legislature is called legislation or statutory law. In addition to enacting laws, legislatures usually have exclusive authority to raise or lower taxes and adopt the budget and...
of the Ghanaian government.
History
Legislative representation in
GhanaGhana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
dates back to 1850, when the country (then known as
Gold CoastThe Gold Coast was a British colony on the Gulf of Guinea in west Africa that became the independent nation of Ghana in 1957.-Overview:The first Europeans to arrive at the coast were the Portuguese in 1471. They encountered a variety of African kingdoms, some of which controlled substantial...
) was a
BritishThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
colonyIn politics and history, a colony is a territory under the immediate political control of a state. For colonies in antiquity, city-states would often found their own colonies. Some colonies were historically countries, while others were territories without definite statehood from their inception....
. The body, called the Legislative Council, was purely advisory as the Governor exercised all legislative and executive powers. Reforms were introduced in 1916 and 1925, although the governor's power remained extensive. In 1946, a new constitution was introduced that allowed for an
unofficial memberAn unofficial member was a member of a colonial legislative council or an executive council, appointed by a governor to sit in the council alongside with ex officio members. A senior unofficial member would be appointed by the governor from among the unofficial members...
of the Legislative Council to become its president while the governor ceased to be the ex-officio president of the body. This system continued until 1951 when the Legislature elected its first
SpeakerThe term speaker is a title often given to the presiding officer of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body. The speaker's official role is to moderate debate, make rulings on procedure, announce the results of votes, and the like. The speaker decides who may speak and has the...
- Sir
Emmanuel Charles QuistSir Emmanuel Charles Quist, Kt. O.B.E., also known as Paa Quist was a barrister and the first Ghanaian Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of the Gold Coast and the first Speaker of the Parliament of Ghana....
.
1951 was also the first year that elections based on
universal suffrageUniversal suffrage consists of the extension of the right to vote to adult citizens as a whole, though it may also mean extending said right to minors and non-citizens...
were held. The
Convention People's PartyThe Convention People's Party is a socialist political party in Ghana, based on the ideas of former President Kwame Nkrumah.The CPP was formed in 1949 by Kwame Nkrumah to campaign for the independence of the Gold Coast. It ruled Ghana from 1957 to 1966...
(CPP), which was formed in 1949 and led by
Kwame NkrumahKwame Nkrumah was the leader of Ghana and its predecessor state, the Gold Coast, from 1952 to 1966. Overseeing the nation's independence from British colonial rule in 1957, Nkrumah was the first President of Ghana and the first Prime Minister of Ghana...
, won
the electionElections for the Legislative Assembly were held for the first time in the Gold Coast on 8 February 1951. Although elections had been held for the Legislative Council since 1925, the Council did not have complete control over the legislation, and the voting franchise was limited to councils of chiefs...
. Another party, the
United Gold Coast ConventionThe United Gold Coast Convention was a political party whose aim was to bring about Ghanaian independence from British rule after the Second World War....
(UGCC) led by J.B. Danquah, fared poorly, and was disbanded soon after. Nkrumah, who had been jailed in early 1950 for
subversionSubversion refers to an attempt to transform the established social order, its structures of power, authority, and hierarchy; examples of such structures include the State. In this context, a "subversive" is sometimes called a "traitor" with respect to the government in-power. A subversive is...
, was released and appointed Leader of Government Business, becoming the country's first
Prime MinisterThe Prime Minister of Ghana was the head of government of Ghana from 1957 to 1960 and again from 1969 to 1972.-History of the office:The country's first leader and Prime Minister was Kwame Nkrumah of the Convention People's Party...
the following year.
Legislative Assembly electionsElections for the Legislative Assembly were held for the second time in the Gold Coast on 15 June 1954. They were won by Kwame Nkrumah's Convention People's Party, which took 71 of the 104 seats.-Background:...
held in 1954 resulted in another CPP victory, with the party winning 71 out of a total of 104 seats. It also won 71 out of 104 seats in the
1956 Legislative Assembly electionElections for the Legislative Assembly were held in the Gold Coast on 17 July 1956. They were won by Kwame Nkrumah's Convention People's Party, which took 71 of the 104 seats.There were around 1,390,000 registered voters...
. The Gold Coast was granted independence on 6 March 1957 as a state within the
CommonwealthA Commonwealth realm is a sovereign state within the Commonwealth of Nations that has Elizabeth II as its monarch and head of state. The sixteen current realms have a combined land area of 18.8 million km² , and a population of 134 million, of which all, except about two million, live in the six...
and was renamed Ghana. The Legislative Assembly was renamed National Assembly.
After the approval of a new Republican constitution, Ghana officially became a
republicA republic is a form of government in which the people, or some significant portion of them, have supreme control over the government and where offices of state are elected or chosen by elected people. In modern times, a common simplified definition of a republic is a government where the head of...
on 1 July 1960 with Kwame Nkrumah as its
PresidentThe 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...
.
The plebisciteA constitutional referendum was held in Ghana on 27 April 1960. The main issue was a change in the country's status from a constitutional monarchy with Elizabeth II as head of state, to a republic with a presidential system of government....
was taken as a fresh mandate from the people and the terms of National Assembly members were extended for another five years. A
one-party stateA single-party state, one-party system or single-party system is a type of party system government in which a single political party forms the government and no other parties are permitted to run candidates for election...
was introduced following
a referendumA constitutional referendum was held in Ghana on 31 January 1964. The proposed amendments to the constitution would turn the country into a one-party state and increase the powers of President Kwame Nkrumah...
in 1964. As a result, only CPP candidates stood in the
National Assembly ElectionParliamentary elections were held in Ghana in 1965. As the country was a one-party state at the time, no parties except President Kwame Nkrumah's Convention People's Party were allowed to participate.-Background:...
held in 1965. Nkrumah was overthrown in 1966 by the military, which banned political parties and dissolved the National Assembly.
The country returned to civilian rule in 1969.
ElectionsThe Ghanaian parliamentary election was held on 29 August 1969. This was the first parliamentary election since the 1966 coup by the National Liberation Council which toppled the Nkrumah government. The election was to select members for the 140 seat legislative body. Kofi Abrefa Busia, the leader...
held on 29 August resulted in victory for the
Progress PartyThe Progress Party was the ruling party in Ghana during the Second Republic . In the 29 August 1969 elections, the PP won 105 of the National Assembly's 140 seats....
(PP) of
Kofi Abrefa BusiaKofi Abrefa Busia was Prime Minister of Ghana from 1969–72. He was born in Wenchi, in the then British colony of Gold Coast . He was educated at Methodist School, Wenchi, Mfantsipim School, Cape Coast, then at Wesley College, Kumasi from 1931–32. He later became a teacher at Achimota Secondary...
, which won 105 of the National Assembly's 140 seats. He took office as Prime Minister on 3 September 1969. His government was toppled in a 1972 military coup.
During the Third Republic, which lasted from 1979 to 1981, the dominant party in the National Assembly was the
People's National PartyThe People's National Party was the ruling party in Ghana during the Third Republic .All political parties in Ghana were disbanded following the January 1972 military coup led by Col. Ignatius Kutu Acheampong. When political activities resumed in 1979, there were five parties contesting the...
(PNP), which won 71 out of 104 seats in
electionsThe Ghanaian parliamentary election was held on 18 June 1979. This were the first parliamentary elections since the 1969 election, 10 years earlier.-Results:Approximately 5,000,000 people were registered for the elections.-See also:...
held on 18 June 1979. After the military intervened in 1981, all elected institutions were dissolved and political party activity was prohibited.
Parliament of the Fourth Republic
After 11 years of military rule, a new constitution was approved in a
1992 referendumA referendum on a new constitution was held in Ghana on 28 April 1992. The main issues were the reintroduction of multi-party politics and the division of powers between the president and parliament.There were 8,255,690 registered voters for the referendum....
.
Presidential electionsPresidential elections were held in Ghana on 3 November 1992. The result was a victory for Jerry John Rawlings, who won 58.4% of the vote. Voter turnout was 50.2%.-Results:...
were held in November and were won by
Jerry RawlingsJerry John Rawlings is a former leader of the Republic of Ghana and now the African Union envoy to Somalia. Rawlings ruled Ghana as a military dictator in 1979 and from 1981 to 1992 and then as the first elected president of the Fourth Republic from 1993 to 2001...
, leader of the 1981 coup and subsequent military ruler. The opposition contested the results and boycotted the
December parliamentary electionsThe Ghanaian parliamentary election was held on 7 December 1996. Presidential elections were held on the same day. The result was a victory for the National Democratic Con, which won 133 of the 200 seats.-Results:-By region:-See also:...
. As a result, Rawlings'
National Democratic CongressThe National Democratic Congress is a social democratic political party in Ghana, founded by Jerry John Rawlings, who was Head of State of Ghana from 1981 to 1993 and the President of Ghana from 1993 to 2001. The NDC was formed ahead of elections in 1992 and 1996 returned Jerry John Rawlings to...
(NDC) won 189 out of 200 seats in Parliament.
All parties participated in the
1996 parliamentary electionsThe Ghanaian parliamentary election was held on 7 December 1996. Presidential elections were held on the same day. The result was a victory for the National Democratic Con, which won 133 of the 200 seats.-Results:-By region:-See also:...
. The NDC won 133 out of a total of 200 seats, while the main opposition
New Patriotic Party
(NPP) won 60. Two small parties won the remaining seats.
The
2000 electionsThe Ghanaian parliamentary election was held on 7 December 2000. Presidential elections were held on the same day with a second round on 28 December 2000. 62% of registered voters turned out for the elections...
were significant in that President Rawlings was constitutionally barred from seeking another term. In the
presidential pollThe Ghanaian presidential elections were held on 7 December 2000 with a second ballot on 28 December 2000.Parliamentary elections were held on 7 December 2000.There were seven candidates in the first round of elections on 7 December 2000...
,
John KufuorJohn Kofi Agyekum Kufuor was the second president of the 4th Republic of Ghana and Chairperson of the African Union...
of the NPP defeated the NDC candidate John Atta Mills in a
run-offThe two-round system is a voting system used to elect a single winner where the voter casts a single vote for their chosen candidate...
election. In the 200-seat Parliament, the NPP won 100, followed by the NDC's 92. Small political parties and independents won the remaining seats.
Kufuor was
re-electedThe Ghanaian presidential election was held in the Republic of Ghana in West Africa on 7 December 2004. Parliamentary elections were held on the same day.There were four candidates:*George Aggudey...
in 2004 and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) won 128 out of 230 seats in the concurrent
parliamentary electionThe Ghanaian parliamentary election was held on 7 December 2004. Presidential elections were held on the same day.-Results:-See also:*List of Ghana Parliament constituencies*MPs elected in the Ghana parliamentary election, 2004-External links:**...
. The main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) won 94, while two other parties - The People's National Convention (PNC) and
Convention People's PartyThe Convention People's Party is a socialist political party in Ghana, based on the ideas of former President Kwame Nkrumah.The CPP was formed in 1949 by Kwame Nkrumah to campaign for the independence of the Gold Coast. It ruled Ghana from 1957 to 1966...
(CPP) - won 4 and 3 seats, respectively. An
IndependentIn politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
captured the remaining seat.
The simple majority (or First Past the Post)
voting systemA voting system or electoral system is a method by which voters make a choice between options, often in an election or on a policy referendum....
is used in Ghana's parliamentary elections. The country is divided into 230 single-member constituencies. Members serve four-year terms.
Leadership structure
- Speaker - The Speaker presides over the Parliament and enforces observance of all rules that govern its conduct. After a general election the majority party in Parliament, in consultation with other parties, nominates a Speaker. The Speaker cannot be a Member of Parliament though he/she must possess the qualifications to stand for elections as a Member of Parliament. The Speaker is assisted by two Deputy Speakers (First and Second Deputy Speakers), who are elected at the commencement of every Parliament. They must come from different political parties. The current Speaker is Joyce Bamford-Addo
Joyce Adeline Bamford-Addo is the Speaker of the Parliament of Ghana. The Speaker's position is the third most important in the Republic of Ghana. She is also a retired Supreme Court Judge. She is the first female Speaker in such a position in the West African sub-region.- Early life and education...
, the first female to be elected to this high office of Speaker of the Parliament of Ghana.
- First Deputy Speaker - The First Deputy Speaker presides over the sittings of Parliament whenever the Speaker is absent. The current First Deputy Speaker is Edward Doe Adjaho of the National Democratic Congress
The National Democratic Congress is a social democratic political party in Ghana, founded by Jerry John Rawlings, who was Head of State of Ghana from 1981 to 1993 and the President of Ghana from 1993 to 2001. The NDC was formed ahead of elections in 1992 and 1996 returned Jerry John Rawlings to...
(NDC).
- Second Deputy Speaker - The Second Deputy Speaker presides over the sittings of Parliament in the absence of the Speaker and the First Deputy Speaker. The current Second Deputy Speaker is Mike Oquaye of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
- Majority Leader - The Majority Leader is elected from the party with a majority of parliamentary seats. A deputy majority leader and a majority chief whip assist him, constituting the majority leadership of Parliament. The current Majority Leader is Alban Bagbin
Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin is the Minister for Water Resources, Works and Housing in the Ghana government.Bagbin hails from the Upper West Region of Ghana and obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Law and English at the University of Ghana in 1980...
of the NDC.
- Minority Leader - The Minority leader is elected from the second largest party in Parliament. A deputy minority leader and a chief whip assist him, constituting the minority leadership of Parliament. The current Minority Leader is Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu of the NPP.
Current composition
Region||Ghana is divided into ten regions :*Ashanti Region *Brong-Ahafo Region *Central Region *Eastern Region *Greater Accra Region *Northern Region *Upper East Region...
|
NPP
|
NDC The National Democratic Congress is a social democratic political party in Ghana, founded by Jerry John Rawlings, who was Head of State of Ghana from 1981 to 1993 and the President of Ghana from 1993 to 2001. The NDC was formed ahead of elections in 1992 and 1996 returned Jerry John Rawlings to...
|
PNC |
CPP The Convention People's Party is a socialist political party in Ghana, based on the ideas of former President Kwame Nkrumah.The CPP was formed in 1949 by Kwame Nkrumah to campaign for the independence of the Gold Coast. It ruled Ghana from 1957 to 1966...
|
Ind. In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
|
Total |
AshantiThe Ashanti Region is the third largest of 10 administrative regions in Ghana, occupying a total land surface of 24389 square kilometers or 10.2 per cent of the total land area of Ghana. In terms of population, however, it is the most populated region with a population of 3,612,950 in 2000,...
|
34 |
03 |
- |
- |
02 |
39 |
Brong AhafoThe Brong-Ahafo Region is located in mid-western Ghana, between the Ashanti Region and the Northern Region. Its capital is Sunyani.This region was created in 1958. It contains many cultural and wildlife attractions, but it is less known to tourists than the Ashanti, Northern, Central, or Greater...
|
15 |
09 |
- |
- |
- |
24 |
CentralThe Central Region is one of Ghana's ten administrative regions. It is bordered by the Ashanti and Eastern regions to the north, Western region to the west, Greater Accra region to the east, and to the south by the Atlantic Ocean.-Districts:...
|
08 |
11 |
- |
- |
- |
19 |
EasternThe Eastern Region is one of Ghana's ten administrative regions. It covers an area of 19,323 square kilometres, which is about 8.1% of Ghana's total land area. The region is divided into administrative districts. The total number of districts were increased from 17 districts to 21...
|
20 |
07 |
- |
- |
01 |
28 |
Greater AccraThe Greater Accra Region is the smallest of Ghana's 10 administrative regions in terms of area, occupying a total land surface of 3,245 square kilometres or 1.4 per cent of the total land area of Ghana...
|
09 |
18 |
- |
- |
- |
27 |
NorthernThe Northern Region is the largest area of Ghana. As of 2009, it is divided into 20 districts. The region's capital is Tamale. Climatically, religiously, linguistically, and culturally, the region differs greatly from the politically and economically dominating regions of central and southern...
|
03 |
22 |
- |
- |
01 |
26 |
Upper EastThe Upper East Region is the smallest of 10 administrative regions in Ghana, occupying a total land surface of 8,842 square kilometers or 2.7 per cent of the total land area of Ghana. In terms of population, it is the ninth most populated region with a population of 920,089 in 2000, accounting for...
|
04 |
08 |
01 |
- |
- |
13 |
Upper WestThe Upper West Region of Ghana is located in the northwestern corner of the country and is bordered by Burkina Faso to the north. The capital and largest city is Wa. Other towns include Nandom, Daffiema, Jirapa, Kaleo, Nadowli, Lawra and Tumu....
|
03 |
06 |
01 |
- |
- |
10 |
VoltaVolta Region is one of Ghana's ten administrative regions. It is to the east of Lake Volta. Its capital is Ho.-List of districts:The region has 18 districts consisting of 3 municipal and 15 ordinary districts:-Background:...
|
01 |
21 |
- |
- |
- |
22 |
WesternThe Western Region of Ghana, reaching from the Côte d'Ivoire border in the west to the Central Region in the east, includes the large twin city of Sekondi-Takoradi on the coast, coastal Axim, and a hilly inland area including Elubo. It includes Ghana's southernmost location, Cape Three Points,...
|
10 |
11 |
- |
01 |
- |
22 |
| Total |
107 |
116 |
02 |
01 |
04 |
230 |
Past Speakers of the National Assembly/Parliament
Pre-Independence (1951-1957)
Speaker of the National Assembly
Emmanuel Charles QuistSir Emmanuel Charles Quist, Kt. O.B.E., also known as Paa Quist was a barrister and the first Ghanaian Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of the Gold Coast and the first Speaker of the Parliament of Ghana....
(March 1951-December 1957)
Independent State within the Commonwealth (1957-1960)/First Republic (1960-1966)
Speakers of the National Assembly
Augustus Molade AkiwumiJustice Augustus Molade Akiwumi was a judge and also the second Speaker of the Parliament of Ghana.-Early life:Augustus Akiwumi was born in Nigeria but became a naturalised Ghanaian....
(February 1958-June 1960)
Joseph Richard AsieduJustice Joseph Richard Asiedu was a judge and also a former Speaker of the Parliament of Ghana.He was appointed Speaker of Parliament in July 1960 in the First Republic of Ghana. He was the speaker until June, 1965.-External links:...
(July 1960-June 1965)
Kofi Asante Ofori-AttaAaron Eugene Kofi Asante Ofori-Atta was a politician and also the fourth Speaker of the Parliament of Ghana.Kofi Asante Ofori-Atta was a Minister for Local Government in the Convention People's Party government of Kwame Nkrumah in the first government of Ghana...
(10 June 1965-22 February 1966)
Second Republic (1969-1972)
Speaker of the National Assembly
Nii Amaa OllennuRaphael Nii Amaa Ollennu was the Chairman of the Presidential Commission and acting President of Ghana during the Second Republic from 7 August 1970 to 31 August 1970.-Early life:...
(October 1969-December 1971)
Third Republic (1979-1981)
Speaker of the National Assembly
Jacob Hackenbug Griffiths-RandolphJustice Jacob Hackenbug Griffiths-Randolph was a judge and also the Speaker of the Parliament of Ghana during the Third Republic.He was once Commissioner of Income Tax during the First Republic of Ghana. He went into exile in Togo in 1962....
(24 September 1979-31 December 1981)
Fourth Republic (1992-present)
Speakers of Parliament
Daniel Francis AnnanJustice Daniel Francis Kweipe Annan was a Speaker of the Parliament of Ghana. He is also a former member of the Provisional National Defence Council government which preceded the fourth republic and was once the Chairman of the National Commission for Democracy.-Early life:Daniel Annan was born in...
(7 January 1993-6 January 2001)
Peter Ala AdjeteyPeter Ala Adjetey was the Speaker of the Parliament of Ghana from 2001 to 2005.-Early life:Peter Ala Adjetey was born on August 11, 1931 at Accra, the capital of Ghana. He obtained his basic education at St. Paul's School at La, a suburb of Accra and the Accra Bishop Boys' School. His secondary...
(7 January 2001-6 January 2005)
Ebenezer Sekyi Hughes (7 January 2005-6 January 2009)
Joyce Adeline Bamford-AddoJoyce Adeline Bamford-Addo is the Speaker of the Parliament of Ghana. The Speaker's position is the third most important in the Republic of Ghana. She is also a retired Supreme Court Judge. She is the first female Speaker in such a position in the West African sub-region.- Early life and education...
(7 January 2009 - present)
See also
- Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
- History of Ghana
The Republic of Ghana is named after the medieval West African Ghana Empire, known to the dominant ethnic group the Soninke, as Wagadugu, which roughly translates to "Land of Herds." The Empire became known in Europe and Arabia as the Ghana Empire by the title of its emperor, the Ghana. The Empire...
- Legislative Branch
- List of national legislatures
- List of Ghana Parliament constituencies
External links