The 'Parliament of Ghana' is the
legislative body of the
Ghanaian government.
History
Legislative representation in
Ghana dates back to
1850, when the country (then known as
Gold Coast) was a
British colony. 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 member 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
Speaker - Sir
Emmanuel Charles Quist.
1951 was also the first year that elections based on
universal suffrage were held. The
Convention People's Party (CPP), which was formed in
1949 and led by
Kwame Nkrumah, won the election. Another party, the
United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC) led by
J.B. Danquah, fared poorly. Nkrumah, who had been jailed in early
1950 for
subversion, was released and appointed leader of government business.
Legislative Assembly elections held in
1954 and 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 election. The Gold Coast was granted independence on
6 March 1957 as a state within the
Commonwealth and was renamed Ghana. The Legislative Assembly was renamed National Assembly.
After the approval of a new Republican constitution, Ghana officially became a
republic on
1 July 1960 with Kwame Nkrumah as its
President. The
plebiscite 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 state was introduced in
1964. As a result, only CPP candidates stood in the National Assembly Election 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. Elections held on
29 August resulted in victory for the
Progress Party (PP) of
Kofi Abrefa Busia, 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 Party (PNP), which won 71 out of 104 seats in elections 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 referendum. Presidential elections were held in November and were won by
Jerry John Rawlings, leader of the 1981 coup and subsequent military ruler. The opposition contested the results and boycotted the December parliamentary elections. As a result, Rawlings'
National Democratic Congress (NDC) won 189 out of 200 seats in Parliament.
All parties participated in the
1996 parliamentary elections. 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 elections were significant in that President Rawlings was constitutionally barred from seeking another term. In the presidential poll,
John Kufuor of the NPP defeated the NDC candidate
John Atta Mills in a
run-off 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-elected in
2004 and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) won 128 out of 230 seats in the concurrent
parliamentary election. The main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) won 94, while two other parties - The
People's National Convention (PNC) and
Convention People's Party (CPP) - won 4 and 3 seats, respectively. An
Independent captured the remaining seat.
The simple majority (or
First Past the Post)
voting system 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 may or may not be a Member of Parliament, but 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
Ebenezer Sekyi-Hughes.
★ 'First Deputy Speaker' - The First Deputy Speaker presides over the sittings of Parliament whenever the Speaker is absent. The current First Deputy Speaker is
Freddie Blay of the Convention People's Party (CPP).
★ '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
Malik Yakubu 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
Felix Owusu-Adjapong of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
★ '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
Alban Bagbin of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
Latest election
Main articles: Ghanaian parliamentary election, 2004
Current composition
Past Speakers of the National Assembly/Parliament
'Pre-Independence (1951-1957)'
Speaker of the National Assembly
Emmanuel Charles Quist (March
1951-December
1957)
'Independent State within the Commonwealth (1957-1960)/First Republic (1960-1966)'
Speakers of the National Assembly
Augustus Molade Akiwumi (February
1958-June
1960)
Joseph Richard Asiedu (July
1960-June
1965)
Kofi Asante Ofori-Atta (
10 June 1965-
22 February 1966)
'Second Republic (1969-1972) '
Speaker of the National Assembly
Nii Amaa Ollennu (October
1969-December
1971)
'Third Republic (1979-1981)'
Speaker of the National Assembly
Jacob Hackenbug Griffiths-Randolph (
24 September 1979-
31 December 1981)
'Fourth Republic (1992-present)'
Speakers of Parliament
Daniel Francis Annan (
7 January 1993-
6 January 2001)
Peter Ala Adjetey (
7 January 2001-
6 January 2005)
See also
★
Ghana
★
History of Ghana
★
Legislative Branch
★
List of national legislatures
★
List of Ghana Parliament constituencies
External link
★
Parliament of Ghana – official site
Daniel Francis Annan
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