GOVERNMENT
The 1993
constitution that established the Fourth Republic provided a basic
charter for the republican democratic government. It declares
Ghana to be a unitary republic with sovereignty residing in the
Ghanaian people. Intended to prevent future coups, dictatorial
government, and one-party states, it is designed to establish
the concept of power sharing. The document reflects lessons learned
from the abrogated constitutions of 1957, 1960, 1969, and 1979,
and incorporates provisions and institutions drawn from British
and American constitutional models. One controversial provision
of the constitution indemnifies members and appointees of the
PNDC from liability for any official act or omission during the
years of PNDC rule. The constitution calls for a system of checks
and balances, with power shared between a president, a unicameral
parliament, an advisory Council of State, and an independent judiciary.
Executive
authority is established in the Office of the Presidency, together
with his Council of State. The president is head of state, head
of government, and commander in chief of the armed forces. He
also appoints the vice president. According to the constitution,
more than half of the presidential-appointed ministers of state
must be appointed from among members of Parliament.
Legislative
functions are vested in Parliament, which consists of a unicameral
230-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.
Members of Parliament are popularly elected by universal adult
suffrage for terms of 4 years, except in wartime, when terms may
be extended for not more than 12 months at a time beyond the 4
years.
The structure
and the power of the judiciary are independent of the two other
branches of government. The Supreme Court has broad 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 largely from British juridical forms. The hierarchy, called
the Superior Court of Judicature, is composed of the Supreme Court
of Ghana, the Court of Appeal, the High Court of Justice, regional
tribunals, and such lower courts or tribunals as Parliament may
establish. The courts have jurisdiction over all civil and criminal
matters.
The government of John Atta Mills appears to enjoy broad support among the Ghanaian population as it pursues a domestic political agenda. The ruling NDC is a social democratic party that seeks to harness the power of the free market to protect worker rights and reduce poverty, while supporting the rule of law and basic human rights. The government inherited a fiscal crisis when it took office; in addition to focusing on the economy, President Mills has pursued an anti-corruption agenda and has announced plans to review the 1993 constitution and support decentralization. President Mills has expressed a willingness to confront Ghana's problem with narcotics trafficking. As part of its anti-corruption efforts the Mills government has required senior government officials to comply with the assets declaration law, changed the regulation to require public disclosure of assets, pledged greater transparency in government procurement, and fired a minister for misusing public funds.
Principal
Government Officials
President--John Atta Mills
Vice President--John Mahama
Minister of Foreign Affairs--Alhaji Mohammed Mumuni
Minister of Defense--Joseph Henry Smith
Minister of Finance and Economic Planning--Kwabena Duffour
Minister of Trade and Industry--Hanna Tetteh
Minister of Justice and Attorney General--Betty Mould-Iddrisu
Minister of Interior--Cletus Avoka
Chief Justice of the Supreme Court--Georgina Theodora Wood
Speaker of Parliament--Joyce Bamford-Addo
Ambassador to the United States--Vacant
Permanent Representative to the United Nations--Nana Effah-Apenteng
Ghana
maintains an embassy
in the United States at 3512 International Drive, NW, Washington,
DC 20008 (tel. 202-686-4500). Its permanent mission to the United
Nations is located at 19 E. 47th Street, New York, NY 10017 (tel.
212-832-1300).
Type: Democracy.
Independence: March 6, 1957.
Constitution: Entered into force January 7, 1993.
Branches: Executive--president popularly elected for a maximum of two 4-year terms; Council of State, a presidential appointed consultative body of 25 members required by the constitution. Legislative--unicameral Parliament popularly elected for 4-year terms. Judicial--independent Supreme Court justices nominated by president with approval of Parliament.
Subdivisions: Ten regions.
Political parties: New Patriotic Party, National Democratic Congress, Convention People's Party, People's National Convention, others.
Suffrage: Universal at 18.
