| |
|
|
| |
Home
>
World
> Africa
> Ghana
|
History and Government
History: Ghana, until independence from British colonial rule on 6 March 1957, was known as the Gold Coast. The country is named after one of the ancient Sudanese Empires which flourished between the fourth and tenth centuries. Subsequently, the area was divided among several kingdoms, of which the most important were the Fanti, who occupied the coastal region, and the Ashanti, whose territory was further inland. The Portuguese were the first Europeans to arrive in the late 15th century. During the next 300 years, the Gold Coast became a major trading centre, mainly in gold and slaves. All the main European colonial powers were engaged in this type of commerce. From the beginning of the 19th century, an increasingly assertive Ashanti kingdom drove out many of the European colonists. The important exception was the British who, allied with the rival Fanti kingdom, defeated the Ashanti in 1874 and took control of the whole of the Gold Coast. The Ashanti-controlled interior was subjugated over the next 15 years and converted into ‘protectorates’, locally ruled under British supervision. The colony’s lands were supplemented in 1917 by parts of neighbouring Togoland which was formerly under German control. Together, these formed what in 1957 became the independent state of Ghana – the first British territory in Africa to be decolonised. Three years after independence (1960) Ghana became a Republic with Dr Kwame Nkrumah, leader of the Convention People’s Party (CPP) as the first President. Under Dr Nkrumah, Ghana made rapid and remarkable progress in education, industrial and infrastructure development and in the provision of social services. At the same time, the country played a leading role in international affairs – especially the United Nations and Commonwealth – in the struggle for the liberation of other African countries, most of which were still under colonial rule. However, Nkrumah’s growing dictatorial tendencies at home disaffected many, especially in the armed forces, and in the end, it was they who, in February 1966, overthrew the CPP Government in a coup led by Colonel Emmanuel Kotoka. A pattern of fledgling civilian governments aborted by the intervention of the armed forces has dogged Ghana for much of the time since then. The leading figure in recent Ghanaian politics is Jerry John Rawlings, a former Air Force Flight Lieutenant, who first came to prominence as the leader of coups in 1979 and 1981. Rawlings initially promoted radical socialist economic and social policies but, as Ghana’s fiscal problems worsened during the 1980s, the Government was forced to turn to the IMF (see Economy section). After introducing a new constitution, President Rawlings and the ruling party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC), submitted themselves to the verdict of the electorate in 1992, and won both the presidency and a huge majority of legislature seats, although most opposition parties boycotted the election claiming widespread irregularities. In July, under the supervision of the IMF and World Bank, the new Government undertook the introduction of a series of economic reforms which became the model for the IMF’s Structural Adjustment Programmes for developing nations. Ghana entered a welcome period of political and economic stability. In the presidential election of December 1996, Rawlings was again elected. The main domestic problem throughout the 1990s was repeated bouts of inter-communal violence caused by ethnic rivalries and disputes over land ownership: these were smartly suppressed by the Government. Also, as Rawlings’ second four-year term of office drew to a close, the Government became afflicted by growing mismanagement and corruption. In December 2000, a closely fought election pitted Rawlings’ former deputy John Atta Mills against John Kuffour, leader of the main opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) and several minor candidates. The contest was dubbed ‘the battle of the bores’, acknowledging the failure of either main candidate to match the charisma of the outgoing Rawlings. However, charisma is not an essential qualification for governing a country and Kuffour won the run-off against Mills and took office at the beginning of 2001. The NPP also became the largest party in the Ghanaian Parliament. With most of the senior echelons of the Government and security forces occupied by long-term Rawlings loyalists, Kuffour was obliged to move cautiously to tackle the country’s problems. While making some progress on the economic front, outbreaks of tribal violence in the north of the country and other problems have brought Kuffour’s honeymoon to an end.
Government: Under the provisions of a new constitution accepted by referendum in April 1992, the President and a new National Assembly are elected by universal suffrage. The President can be elected for a maximum of two four-year terms. The unicameral legislature, the National Assembly, has 200 seats and is also elected for four years.
Copyright © 2003 Columbus Publishing Ltd.
Terms and Conditions apply.
|
|
|
|
|
