Government of Ghana

Government of Ghana
	Coat of Arms of the Republic of Ghana
	; Jubilee House, the official residence and presidential palace in the country.
Government overview
Formed	Independence Day; 67 years, 6 months; Republic Day; 64 years, 3 months; 1992 Constitution; 32 years, 4 months
Type	Parliamentary democracy with executive presidency
Jurisdiction	Republic of Ghana
Headquarters	Accra, Greater Accra
Government executives	Nana Akufo-Addo, President of Ghana; Mahamudu Bawumia, Vice-President of Ghana; Alban Bagbin, Speaker of Parliament; Kwasi Anin-Yeboah, Chief Justice of Ghana;
Website	www.ghana.gov.gh

The Government of Ghana was created as a parliamentary democracy, followed by alternating military and civilian governments in Ghana. In January 1993, military government gave way to the Fourth Republic after presidential and parliamentary elections in late 1992. The 1992 constitution divides powers among a president, parliament, cabinet, council of state, and an independent judiciary. The government is elected by universal suffrage.

Government

Political parties became legal in mid-1992 after a ten-year hiatus. There are more than 20 registered political parties under the Fourth Republic.^[1] The two main parties are the National Democratic Congress and the New Patriotic Party. The National Democratic Congress is the successor organisation to Jerry John Rawlings' Provisional National Defence Council which was in power from 1981 to 1992.^[2]

The New Patriotic Party, found in 1992, is the successor to the Gold Coast's The Big Six independence achiever party United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC); the People's National Convention, and the Convention People's Party, successor to Kwame Nkrumah's original party of the same name, which was the incumbent government of Ghana for 10 years from declaration of independence in 1957 to 1966, winning elections in 1956, 1960, and 1965.^[2]

The National Democratic Congress won the presidential and parliamentary elections in 1992, 1996, 2008 and 2012. The New Patriotic Party won the presidential and parliamentary elections in 2000, 2004, and 2016.^[3]

Foreign relations

Since independence, Ghana has been devoted to ideals of nonalignment and is a founding member of the non-aligned movement. Ghana favors international and regional political and economic co-operation, and is an active member of the United Nations and the African Union.^[4]

Many Ghanaian diplomats and politicians hold positions in international organisations. These include Ghanaian diplomat and former Secretary-General of the United Nations Kofi Annan, International Criminal Court Judge Akua Kuenyehia, former President Jerry John Rawlings and former President John Agyekum Kuffour who have both served as diplomats of the United Nations.^[2]

In September 2010, Ghana's former President John Atta Mills visited China on an official visit. Mills and China's former President Hu Jintao, marked the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two nations, at the Great Hall of the People on 20 September 2010.^[5] China reciprocated with a visit in November 2011, by the vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of China, Zhou Tienong who visited Ghana and met with Ghana's President John Dramani Mahama.^[6]

Judicial system

The legal system is based on the 1992 constitution, customary (traditional) law, and British common law. Court hierarchy consists of Supreme Court of Ghana (highest court), courts of appeal, and high courts of justice. Beneath these bodies are circuit, magisterial, and traditional courts. Extrajudicial institutions include public tribunals.^[2] Since independence, courts are relatively independent; this independence continues under the Republic. Lower courts are being redefined and reorganized under the Republic.^[2]

Administrative divisions

There are sixteen administrative regions of the Republic of Ghana which are divided into 6 metropolitan assemblies; 55 Municipal assemblies; and 216 districts,^[7] each with its own district assembly.^[7] Below districts are various types of councils, including 58 town or area councils; 108 zonal councils; and 626 area councils.^[7] Over 16,000 unit committees exist on the lowest level.^[2] Ghana has 275 electoral constituencies.^[7]