Politics of Ghana

Politics of Ghana
Constitution
Executive President (list) Nana Akufo-Addo Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia Ministers Council of State
Legislative Speaker of the Parliament Alban Sumana Bagbin Parliament Members of Parliament
Judiciary Supreme Court Chief Justice: Kwasi Anin-Yeboah Human rights
Elections Constituencies Political parties Politicians Electoral Commission Recent elections General: 2012 2016 2020
Administrative divisions Regions Districts
Foreign relations Ministry for Foreign Affairs Minister: Shirley Ayorkor Botchway Diplomatic missions of / in Ghana Nationality law Passport Visa requirements Visa policy
Other countries
v t e

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 2 party system. The seat of government is at Golden Jubilee House. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in the government and Parliament. The judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature.^[1]

The Economist Intelligence Unit rated Ghana a "flawed democracy" in 2022.^{[2][needs update]}

Legislative[edit | edit source]

Legislative functions are vested in Parliament, which consists of a unicameral 275-member body plus the Speaker. To become law, legislation must have the assent of the president, who has a qualified veto over all bills except those to which a vote of urgency is attached.^[3]

Executive[edit | edit source]

Nana Akufo-Addo is established in the Office of the Presidency, together with their Council of State. The president is head of state, head of government, and commander in chief of the armed forces. They appoints the vice president. According to the Constitution, more than half of the presidentially appointed ministers of state must be appointed from among members of Parliament.^[4]

The outcome of the December 2012 elections, in which John Dramani Mahama was declared President by the Ghana Electoral Commission,^[5][6][7] was challenged by Nana Akufo-Addo, Mahamudu Bawumia and Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey at the Supreme Court of Ghana, which came out with the verdict that Mahama legally won the 2012 presidential election^[8][9][10]

This precedent which was set by Nana Akufo-Addo and the NPP party in 2012 was followed by John Dramani Mahama the then president, and opposition leader and the NDC party when they petition the Highest Court of the Land to overturn the election victory of Nana Akufo-Addo and the NPP party on the grounds that the victory was illegal.^{[11] [12][13]}

Judicial[edit | edit source]

Supreme Court of Ghana.

The Judiciary is responsible for interpreting, applying and enforcing the laws, and exist to settle legal conflicts fairly and in a more competent way.^[14] The Supreme Court of Ghana has powers of judicial review. It is authorized by the Constitution to rule on the constitutionality of any legislation or executive action at the request of any aggrieved citizen. The hierarchy of courts derives somewhat from British juridical forms. The courts have jurisdiction over all civil and criminal matters. They include the Superior Courts of Judicature, established under the 1992 Constitution, and the Inferior Courts, established by Parliament. The Superior Courts are, from highest to lowest, the Supreme Court of Ghana, the Court of Appeal, the High Court of Justice, and the ten Regional Tribunals. The Inferior Courts, since the Courts Act 2002, include the Circuit Courts, the Magistrate Courts, and special courts such as the Juvenile Courts.^[15]

In 2007, Georgina Wood became the first ever female chief justice of the Ghanaian Supreme Court.^[16]

History[edit | edit source]

Nana Akufo-Addo, the ruling party candidate, was defeated in an election by John Atta Mills of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) following the Ghanaian presidential election, 2008.^[17][18] Mills died of natural causes and was succeeded by vice-president John Dramani Mahama on 24 July 2012.^[19]

Following the Ghanaian presidential election, 2012, John Dramani Mahama became President-elect and was inaugurated on 7 January 2013.^[20] Ghana was a stable democracy.^[21]

As a result of the Ghanaian presidential election, 2016,^[22] Nana Akufo-Addo became President-elect and was inaugurated as the fifth President of the Fourth Republic of Ghana and eighth President of Ghana on 7 January 2017.^[23] In December 2020, President Nana Akufo-Addo was re-elected after a tightly contested election.^[24]

References[edit | edit source]

External links[edit | edit source]

• Global Integrity Report: Ghana has information on Ghana's anti-corruption efforts*Ghana Government at Curlie
• Latest Political News From Ghana