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76-538: Minority (137) The Parliament of Ghana is the unicameral legislature of Ghana . It consists of 275 members, who are elected for four-year terms in single-seat constituencies using a first-past-the-post voting system. Legislative representation in Ghana dates back to 1850, when the country was a British colony known as Gold Coast . The body called the Legislative Council , was purely advisory as

152-514: A semi-presidential system (1981–1986) form of government. The ongoing process of amending or revising the current Constitution and form of government is popularly known as Charter Change . A shift to a unicameral parliament was included in the proposals of the constitutional commission created by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo . Unlike in the United States, senators in the Senate of

228-443: A 20,000 Cedis (about $ 400) cap on campaign contributions, which made national publicity of opposition parties virtually impossible. Rawlings himself began campaigning before the official unbanning of political parties and had access to state resources and was able to effectively meet all monetary demands required of a successful campaign. Rawlings travelled across the country, initiating public-works projects and giving public employees

304-596: A 60% pay rise prior to election day. Opposition parties objected to the election results, citing incidences of vote stuffing in regions where Rawlings was likely to lose and rural areas with scant populations, as well as a bloated voters' register and a partisan electoral commission. However, the Commonwealth Observer Group , led by Sir Ellis Clarke , approved of the election as "free and fair", as there were very few issues at polling stations and no major incidences of voter coercion. In contrast,

380-493: A few businesspeople. In December 1982, the PNDC announced its four-year economic program of establishing a state monopoly on export-import trade with the goal of eliminating corruption surrounding import licences and shift trade away from dependency on Western markets. Unrealistic price controls were imposed on the market and enforced through coercive acts, especially against businesspeople. This resolve to employ state control over

456-494: A military academy at Teshie. Rawlings was married to Nana Konadu Agyeman , whom he met while at Achimota College . They had three daughters: Zanetor Rawlings , Yaa Asantewaa Rawlings, Amina Rawlings; and one son, Kimathi Rawlings. Junior Agogo was the nephew of Rawlings. Rawlings finished his secondary education at Achimota College in 1967. He joined the Ghana Air Force shortly afterwards; on his application,

532-428: A more independent Supreme Court and the publication of independent newspapers. Opposition parties operated outside of parliament and held rallies and press conferences. Given the various issues with the 1992 elections, the 1996 elections were a great improvement in terms of electoral oversight. Voter registration was re-compiled, with close to 9.2 million voters registering at nearly 19,000 polling stations, which

608-511: A robust constitution. Approximately half of the world's sovereign states are currently unicameral. The People's Republic of China is somewhat in-between, with a legislature and a formal advisory body. China has a Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference which meets alongside the National People's Congress , in many respects an advisory "upper house". Many subnational entities have unicameral legislatures. These include

684-606: A second coup against Limann and indicted the entire political class on 31 December 1981. In place of Limann's People's National Party , Rawlings established the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) military junta as the official government. Rawlings hosted state visits from "revolutionaries" from other countries, including Dési Bouterse ( Suriname ), Daniel Ortega ( Nicaragua ), and Sam Nujoma ( Namibia ). More famously, Rawlings reversed Limann's boycott of Gaddafi's Libya , allowing

760-713: A seven-day period of mourning in his honor and flags flown at half-mast. His family members appealed to the Government of Ghana to bury him in Keta in the Volta Region . A schedule for the signing of a book of condolence was opened in his memory. His funeral, originally planned for 23 December 2020, was postponed at the request of his family. From 24 to 27 January 2021, funeral ceremonies were organised at Accra in Rawlings' memory. A requiem mass for Jerry Rawlings

836-474: A situation which led to economic decline and impoverishment. Rawlings was part of the Free Africa Movement, an underground movement of military officers who wanted to unify Africa through a series of coups. On Tuesday, 15 May 1979, five weeks prior to civilian elections, Rawlings and six other soldiers staged a coup against the government of General Fred Akuffo , but failed and were arrested by

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912-658: A tour of the country. He was especially interested in the Ghanaian origins of the Maroon people. Rawlings delivered lectures at universities, including Oxford University in England. Rawlings continued his heavy support for NDC. In July 2019, he went on a three-day working trip to Burkina Faso in the capacity of Chairman of the Thomas Sankara Memorial Committee. In September 2019, he paid

988-638: A tribute on behalf of the president and people of Ghana, when he led a delegation to the funeral of Robert Mugabe , the late former president of Zimbabwe . Rawlings died on 12 November 2020 at Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra, a week after having been admitted for a "short term illness" in Ghana. According to some reports, his death was caused by complications from COVID-19 . His death came nearly two months after that of his mother, Victoria Agbotui, on 24 September 2020. President Nana Akufo-Addo declared

1064-625: A unicameral legislature, but the measure did not pass the Senate. Because of legislative gridlock in 2009, former Congressman Rick Lazio , a prospective candidate for governor, has proposed that New York adopt unicameralism. The United States as a whole was subject to a unicameral Congress during the years 1781–1788, when the Articles of Confederation were in effect. The Confederate States of America , pursuant to its Provisional Constitution, in effect from February 8, 1861, to February 22, 1862,

1140-537: Is also the smallest legislature of any US state. A 2018 study found that efforts to adopt unicameralism in Ohio and Missouri failed due to rural opposition. There was a fear in rural communities that unicameralism would diminish their influence in state government. Local government legislatures of counties, cities, or other political subdivisions within states are usually unicameral and have limited lawmaking powers compared to their state and federal counterparts. Some of

1216-683: Is bicameral, all local legislatures are unicameral: the Bangsamoro Parliament , the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (Provincial Boards), Sangguniang Panlungsod (City Councils), Sangguniang Bayan (Municipal Councils), Sangguniang Barangay ( Barangay Councils), and the Sangguniang Kabataan (Youth Councils). The Nebraska Legislature (also called the Unicameral) is the supreme legislative body of

1292-448: 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 smaller political party groups won the remaining seats. The 2000 elections were significant in the sense that, President Rawlings was constitutionally barred from seeking another term. In the presidential poll , John Kufuor of the NPP defeated

1368-612: The Black Stars to compete in the 1982 African Cup of Nations . The team won the AFCON trophy for the fourth time, their last win as of 2022. Although the PNDC claimed to be representative of the people, it lacked experience in the creation and implementation of clear economic policies. Rawlings, like many of his predecessors, attributed current economic and social problems to the "trade malpractices and other anti-social activities" of

1444-484: The International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) issued a report supporting claims that erroneous entries in voter registration could have affected election results. The Carter Center did acknowledge minor electoral issues but did not see these problems as indicative of systematic electoral fraud. Opposition parties boycotted subsequent Ghana parliamentary and presidential elections, and

1520-490: The Minnesota Legislature into a single chamber. Although debated, the idea was never adopted. The US territory of Puerto Rico held a non-binding referendum in 2005 . Voters approved changing its Legislative Assembly to a unicameral body by 456,267 votes in favor (83.7%) versus 88,720 against (16.3%). If both the territory's House of Representatives and Senate had approved by a 2 ⁄ 3 vote

1596-660: 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 same year 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

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1672-733: The provinces of Nepal , all of the Spanish autonomous communities , both of the autonomous regions of Portugal , most of the states and union territories of India , and all of the states of Brazil and Germany . In the United Kingdom , the devolved Scottish Parliament , the Welsh Senedd , the Northern Ireland Assembly , and the London Assembly are also unicameral. Though the current Congress of

1748-469: The 13 colonies which became independent, such as Pennsylvania , New Jersey and New Hampshire had initially introduced strong unicameral legislature and (relatively) less powerful governors with no veto power. Pennsylvania's constitution lasted only 14 years. In 1790, conservatives gained power in the state legislature, called a new constitutional convention, and rewrote the constitution. The new constitution substantially reduced universal male suffrage, gave

1824-563: The 1979 coup, he involved himself with the student community of the University of Ghana , where he developed a more leftist ideology through reading and discussion of social and political ideas. Rawlings grew discontented with Ignatius Kutu Acheampong 's government, which had come to power through a coup in January 1972. Acheampong was accused not only of corruption, but also of maintaining Ghana's dependency on pre-colonial powers, in

1900-582: The Committees for the Defence of the Revolution (CDRs), Commando Units, 31 December Women's Organization, the 4 June movement, Peoples Militias, and Mobisquads, and operated on a system of popular control through intimidation. Rawlings held a monopoly over national media, and was able to censor print and electronic media through a PNDC newspaper licensing decree, PNDC Law 221. Moreover, Rawlings imposed

1976-714: 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 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

2052-668: 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

2128-644: The Legislative Assembly and National Assembly in 1957 Green: National Democratic Congress (NDC) Blue: New Patriotic Party (NPP) Yellow: People's National Convention (PNC) Red: Convention People's Party (CPP) Speakers of the National Assembly Speaker of the National Assembly Speaker of the National Assembly Speakers of Parliament The composition of the Parliament has changed over

2204-709: 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. Smaller political party groups and independent candidates 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. Independent candidates captured

2280-897: The Parliament had fourteen Standing Committees and sixteen Select Committees. There was also one ad hoc committee. Appointments • Business • Committee of Selection • Finance • Gender and Children Government Assurance • House • Judiciary • Members Holding Offices of Profit • Privileges Public Accounts • Special Budget • Standing Orders • Subsidiary Legislation Communications • Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs • Defence and Interior • Education • Employment, Social Welfare and State Enterprises Environment, Science and Technology • Food, Agriculture and Cocoa Affairs • Foreign Affairs • Health • Lands and Forestry • Local Government and Rural Development Mines and Energy • Roads and Transport • Standing Orders • Trade, Industry and Tourism • Works and Housing • Youth, Sports and Culture Ad-hoc Committee: Poverty Reduction Strategy committee Speaker of

2356-545: The Philippines are elected not per district and state but nationally; the Philippines is a unitary state . The Philippine government's decision-making process, relative to the United States, is more rigid, highly centralised, much slower and susceptible to political gridlock . As a result, the trend for unicameralism as well as other political system reforms are more contentious in the Philippines. While Congress

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2432-598: The Philippines is bicameral, the country experienced unicameralism in 1898 and 1899 (during the First Philippine Republic ), from 1935 to 1941 (the Commonwealth era) and from 1943 to 1944 (during the Japanese occupation ). Under the 1973 Constitution, the legislative body was called Batasang Pambansa , which functioned also a unicameral legislature within a parliamentary system (1973–1981) and

2508-504: The abolition of one of two bicameral chambers, or, as in Sweden , through the merger of the two chambers into a single one, while in others a second chamber has never existed from the beginning. The principal advantage of a unicameral system is more efficient lawmaking, as the legislative process is simpler and there is no possibility of deadlock between two chambers. Proponents of unicameralism have also argued that it reduces costs, even if

2584-429: The bulk of Kansas City ) narrowly voted against, and all other counties voted against the change to unicameralism. In 1970, North Dakota voters voted to call a constitutional convention. In 1972, a change to a unicameral legislature was approved by 69.36-30.64, however, since the voters rejected the new constitution at the same referendum, it never took effect. In 1999, Governor Jesse Ventura proposed converting

2660-403: The country for 19 years. Rawlings came to power in Ghana as a flight lieutenant of the Ghana Air Force following a coup d'état in 1979. Prior to that, he led an unsuccessful coup attempt against the ruling military government on Tuesday, 15 May 1979, just five weeks before scheduled democratic elections were due to take place. After handing power over to a civilian government, he overthrew

2736-495: The country's first Prime Minister in the following year. Legislative Assembly elections 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 election . The Gold Coast was renamed to Ghana and granted independence on Wednesday, 6 March 1957, while retaining the British monarch as head of state. The Legislative Assembly

2812-606: The country, along with turning Ghana into a multi-party democracy. Rawlings has been described as one of Ghana's greatest leaders, and as the "transcendent African political figure of his generation". Rawlings was born as Jerry Rawlings John on Sunday, 22 June 1947 in Accra , Ghana, to Victoria Agbotui, an Anlo Ewe from Dzelukope , Keta , and James Ramsey John, a British chemist from Castle Douglas in Kirkcudbrightshire, Scotland. Rawlings attended Achimota School and

2888-691: The democratically elected Government through a military coup on Thursday, 31 December 1981 as the chairman of the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC). In 1992, Rawlings resigned from the military, founded the National Democratic Congress (NDC), and became the first president of the Fourth Republic. Rawlings brokered a ceasefire in 1995 during the First Liberian Civil War . He was re-elected in 1996 for four more years. After two terms in office,

2964-473: The document to allow him to run for a third term in 2000 . He retired in 2001 and was succeeded by John Agyekum Kufuor , his main rival and opponent in 1996. It was the first time in Ghanaian history that a sitting government peacefully transferred power to an elected member of the opposition. Kufuor won the presidency after defeating Rawlings' vice-president John Atta Mills in a runoff in 2000. In 2004, Mills conceded to Kufuor after another election between

3040-460: The economy is best demonstrated by the destruction of the Makola No.1 Market . The PNDC established Workers' Defence Committees (WDCs) and People's Defence Committees (PDCs) to mobilize the population to support radical changes to the economy. Price controls on the sale of food were beneficial to urban workers, but placed undue burden on 70% of the rural population whose income largely depended on

3116-614: The elections. Despite some fears of electoral violence, the election was peaceful and had a 78% turnout rate, and was successful with only minor problems such as an inadequate supply of ink and parliamentary ballots. The two major contenders of the 1996 election were Rawlings' NDC, and John Kufuor 's Great Alliance, an amalgamation of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the People's Convention Party (PCP). The Great Alliance based their platform on ousting Rawlings, and attacked

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3192-680: The government became known as the Fourth Republic of Ghana . Rawlings established the Economic Recovery Program (ERP) suggested by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund in 1982 due to the poor state of the economy after 18 months of attempting to govern it through administrative controls and mass mobilization. The policies implemented caused a dramatic currency devaluation,

3268-583: The governor veto power and patronage appointment authority, and added an upper house with substantial wealth qualifications to the unicameral legislature. Thomas Paine called it a constitution unworthy of America. In 1944, Missouri held a vote on changing the General Assembly to a unicameral one, which was narrowly rejected by the voters 52.42-47.58. Only the city of St. Louis and the St. Louis County voted in favor, whilst Jackson County (containing

3344-601: The group in a coup to oust the Akuffo Government and Supreme Military Council. Shortly afterwards, Rawlings established and became the Chairman of a 15-member Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC), primarily composed of junior officers. He and the AFRC ruled for 112 days and arranged the execution by firing squad of eight military officers, including Generals Kotei, Joy Amedume, Roger Felli, and Utuka, as well as

3420-448: The incumbent government for its poor fiscal policies. However, they were unable to articulate a clear positive message of their own, or plans to change the current economic policy. As Ghana was heavily dependent on international aid, local leaders had minimal impact on the economy. The Electoral Commission reported that Rawlings had won by 57%, with Kufuor obtaining 40% of the vote. Results by district were similar to those in 1992, with

3496-571: The limit according to the Ghanaian Constitution , Rawlings endorsed his vice-president John Atta Mills as a presidential candidate in 2000. Rawlings served as the African Union envoy to Somalia . He died in 2020 at age 73 and was accorded a state funeral . Rawlings is seen as a transformative leader in the history of Ghana, and is credited with leading the country through economic recovery and returning national pride to

3572-440: The military . Rawlings was publicly sentenced to death in a General Court Martial and imprisoned, although his statements on the social injustices that motivated his actions won him civilian sympathy. While awaiting execution, Rawlings was sprung from custody on Monday, 4 June 1979 by a group of soldiers. Claiming that the government was corrupt beyond redemption and that new leadership was required for Ghana's development, he led

3648-450: The military switched his surname John and his middle name Rawlings. In March 1968, he was posted to Takoradi , in Ghana's Western Region , to continue his studies. He graduated in January 1969, and was commissioned as a pilot officer , winning the coveted "Speed Bird Trophy" as the best cadet in flying the Su-7 ground attack supersonic jet aircraft as he was skilled in aerobatics. He earned

3724-503: The number of legislators stays the same, since there are fewer institutions to maintain and support financially. More popular among modern-day democratic countries, unicameral, proportional legislatures are widely seen as both more democratic and effective. Proponents of bicameral legislatures say that having two legislative chambers offers an additional restraint on the majority , though critics note that there are other ways to restrain majorities, such as through non-partisan courts and

3800-541: The official ones released by the Electoral commission. The Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) was established to discuss election preparations with all parties and the Electoral Commission, as well as establish procedures to investigate and resolve complaints. Presidential and parliamentary elections were held on the same day and see-through boxes were used in order to further ensure the legitimacy of

3876-667: The opposition had largely approved after party agents had reviewed the lists. The emphasis on transparency led Ghanaian non-governmental organizations to create the Network of Domestic Election Observers (NEDEO), which trained nearly 4,100 local poll watchers . This organization was popular across political parties and civic groups. On the day of the election, more than 60,000 candidate agents monitored close to all polling sites, and were responsible for directly reporting results to their respective party leaders. The parallel vote-tabulation system allowed polling sites to compare their results to

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3952-616: The opposition winning the Ashanti Region and some constituencies in Eastern and Greater Accra, and Rawlings winning in his ethnic home, the Volta Region , and faring well in every other region. The NDC took 134 seats in the Assembly compared to the opposition's 66, and the NPP took 60 seats in the parliament. The 1992 constitution limits a president to two terms, even if they are nonconsecutive. Rawlings did not attempt to amend

4028-534: The prices of agricultural products. Rawlings' economic policies led to an economic crisis in 1983, forcing him to undertake structural adjustment and submit himself to election to retain power. Elections were held in January 1992, leading Ghana back to multiparty democracy. Rawlings established the National Commission on Democracy (NCD) shortly after the 1982 coup, and employed it to survey civilian opinion and make recommendations that would facilitate

4104-517: The process of democratic transition. In March 1991, the NCD released a report recommending the election of an executive president, the establishment of a national assembly, and the creation of the post of prime minister. The PNDC used NCD recommendations to establish a committee for the drafting of a new constitution based on past Ghanaian Constitutions, that lifted the ban on political parties in May 1992 after it

4180-584: The rank of flight lieutenant in April 1978. During his service with the Ghana Air Force , Rawlings perceived a deterioration in discipline and morale due to corruption in the Supreme Military Council (SMC). As promotion brought him into contact with the privileged classes and their social values, his view of the injustices in society hardened. He was thus regarded with some unease by the SMC. After

4256-491: The remaining seat. The simple majority (or First Past the Post ) voting system is used in Ghana 's parliamentary elections. Since 2012, the country is divided into 275 single-member constituencies . Members serve four-year terms. The Speaker cannot be a Member of Parliament though they must possess the qualifications to stand for elections as a Member of Parliament, such person on appointment as Speaker must resign and declare

4332-410: The removal of price controls, and social-service subsidies which favored farmers over urban workers, and privatization of some state-owned enterprises, and restraints on government spending. Funding was provided by bilateral donors, reaching US$ 800 million in 1987 and 1988, and US$ 900 million in 1989. Between 1992 and 1996, Rawlings eased control over the judiciary and civil society, allowing

4408-407: The seat occupied in Parliament as vacant. 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 Alban Kingsford Sumani Bagbin . The distribution of seats among the parties following the 2020 general election is as follows. As at November 2020,

4484-523: The second military rule of Rawlings. However, unlike the 1979 executions, these persons were abducted and killed in secret and it is unclear who was behind their murders, though Joachim Amartey Kwei and four others were convicted of murdering the Justices and Acquah, and were executed in 1982. Believing the Limann administration to be unable to resolve Ghana's neocolonial economic dependency, Rawlings led

4560-403: The specific amendments to the Puerto Rico Constitution that are required for the change to a unicameral legislature, another referendum would have been held in the territory to approve such amendments. If those constitutional changes had been approved, Puerto Rico could have switched to a unicameral legislature as early as 2015. On June 9, 2009, the Maine House of Representatives voted to form

4636-420: The state of Nebraska and territories of Guam and the Virgin Islands in the United States , the Chinese special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macao , the Australian state of Queensland as well as the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory , a majority of the provinces of Argentina , all of the provinces and territories in Canada , all of the regions of Italy , all of

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4712-410: The state of Nebraska and the only unicameral state legislature in the United States. Its members are called "senators", as it was originally the upper house of a bicameral legislature before the Nebraska House of Representatives dissolved in 1937. The legislature is also notable for being nonpartisan and officially recognizes no party affiliation, making Nebraska unique among US states. With 49 members, it

4788-432: The three former Ghanaian heads of state; Acheampong, Akuffo, and Akwasi Afrifa . These executions were dramatic events in the history of Ghana , which had previously suffered few instances of political violence. Rawlings later implemented a much wider "house-cleaning exercise" involving the killings and abduction of over 300 Ghanaians. Elections were held on time shortly after the coup. On Monday, 24 September 1979, power

4864-406: The two. In November 2000, Rawlings was named the first International Year of Volunteers 2001 Eminent Person by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan , attending various events and conferences to promote volunteerism. In October 2010, Rawlings was named as the African Union envoy to Somalia . In November 2010, he attended the inauguration of Dési Bouterse as President of Suriname , and took

4940-407: The unicameral National Assembly, of which NDC officials won 189 of 200 seats and essentially established a one-party parliament that lacked legitimacy and only had limited legislative powers. After the disputed election, the PNDC was transformed into the National Democratic Congress (NDC). Rawlings took office on Thursday, 7 January 1993, the same day that the new constitution came into effect, and

5016-532: The university. This suggestion was accepted by his family. A foundation called the JJ Rawlings Foundation was named after him led by his children, Madam Yaa Asantewaa Agyeman-Rawlings and Madam Amina Agyeman-Rawlings. The following are physical books relevant to Jerry Rawlings, which may not be available online, but are added in case of looking for more information. See also, Shipley, Jesse Weaver. "Alternative Histories of Global Sovereignty: Ghana's Lost Revolution" Comparative Studies of South Asia, Africa and

5092-414: The votes, former President Hilla Limann won 6.8%, Kwabena Darko won 2.9%, and Emmanuel Erskine won 1.7%. Voter turnout was 50%. The ability of opposition parties to compete was limited by the vast advantages Rawlings possessed. Rawlings' victory was aided by the various party structures that were integrated into society during his rule, called the "organs of the revolution". These structures included

5168-497: The years. There were 140 members in both the Second and the Third Republic parliaments. In the current Fourth Republic, the number of MPs first increased to 200 and subsequently to 275. There have been 8 parliaments so far in the Fourth Republic. The list of its members are below. 05°33′24″N 00°11′24″W  /  5.55667°N 0.19000°W  / 5.55667; -0.19000 Unicameral Sometimes, as in New Zealand and Denmark , unicameralism comes about through

5244-453: Was also the first year that elections based on universal suffrage was held. The Convention People's Party (CPP), formed in 1949 and led by Kwame Nkrumah won the election that was held . Another party called the United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC) led by J.B. Danquah performed poorly and was disbanded soon after. Nkrumah, who had been jailed in early 1950 for subversion , was released and appointed Leader of Government Business, becoming

5320-484: Was approved by referendum. On Friday, 3 November 1992, election results compiled by the INEC from 200 constituencies showed that Rawlings' NDC had won 60% of the votes, and had obtained the majority needed to prevent a second round of voting. More specifically, the NDC won 62% in the Brong-Ahafo region, 93% in the Volta region, and majority votes in Upper West, Upper East, Western, Northern, Central, and Greater Accra regions. His opponents Professor Adu Boahen won 31% of

5396-460: Was governed by a unicameral Congress. Jerry Rawlings Jerry John Rawlings (22 June 1947 – 12 November 2020) 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 1993, and then served two terms as the democratically elected president of Ghana . He was the longest-serving leader in Ghana's history, presiding over

5472-773: Was held at the Black Star Square before his burial service at the Military Cemetery at Burma Camp , with full military honours, including a slow march by the funeral cortège , a flypast of a Ghana Air Force helicopter, the sounding of the Last Post by army buglers and a 21-gun salute . President Nana Akufo-Addo proposed to the Governing Council of UDS to rename the institution after Jerry John Rawlings since Rawlings used his US$ 50,000 Hunger Project prize as seed money to establish

5548-793: Was held at the Holy Spirit Cathedral on 24 January 2021, followed by a vigil at the Air Force Officers' Mess in Accra later that evening. His body was laid in state in the foyer of the Accra International Conference Centre from 25 to 26 January 2021. There were also traditional rites performed by the Anlo Ewe people of his maternal ancestry. On 27 January 2021, a state funeral, attended by national and international political leaders, paramount chiefs, diplomats and other dignitaries,

5624-585: Was peacefully handed over by Rawlings to President Hilla Limann , whose People's National Party (PNP) had the support of Nkrumah's followers. Two years later, on 31 December 1981 Rawlings ousted President Hilla Limann in a coup d'état, claiming that civilian rule was weak and the country's economy was deteriorating. The killings of the Supreme Court justices ( Cecilia Koranteng-Addow , Frederick Sarkodie, and Kwadjo Agyei Agyepong), military officers Major Sam Acquah and Major Dasana Nantogmah also occurred during

5700-434: 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 following a referendum in 1964. As a result, only CPP candidates stood in

5776-529: 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), led by Hilla Limann, 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

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