9 Parliaments in 51 years, that's our story so far (feature)

Page 28, March 5, 2008
Article: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah
THE development of parliamentary democracy in Ghana has not been all rosy as attempts made on four occasions did not survive because they ended abruptly through coups d’etat.
Although the executive and judiciary arms of government have operated for the entire period of the country’s nationhood, the legislature (Parliament) has not had that privilege.
Legislative power was first exercised in the Gold Coast during the reign of Queen Victoria (1837-9001). During that time the Gold Coast had its own Legislative Council which consisted of the governor and at least two other persons designated by Royal instructions.
The council was empowered to make “all such laws, institutions and ordinances as may from time to time be necessary for the peace, order and good government”.
Since independence, Ghana has practised both the Westminster system, where the Prime Minister was a Member of Parliament (MP), and the American type of presidential system, where the President held both ceremonial and executive powers.
Ghana’s Independence Parliament of 1957 was short-lived, because of the people’s anxiety to become a republic. That status was achieved on July 1, 1960.
Despite the considerable total periods of military rule, there have been as many as nine parliaments, namely the Independence Parliament (Nkrumah), the two parliaments of the First Republic (Nkrumah), the Parliament of the Second Republic (Busia), the Parliament of the Third Republic (Limann) and the four parliaments of the Fourth Republic (Rawlings and Kufuor).
At independence in 1957, Ghana adopted the Westminster model of parliamentary democracy. This was practised almost flawlessly from 1957 to 1960 in the First Republic and 1969 to 1972 in the Second Republic. The Third Republic Constitution of 1979 was, however, based on the American system with strict separation of powers between the Executive and the Legislature.
Both the 1969 and 1979 constitutions of the Second and Third republics respectively provided for 140 elected members while the 1992 Constitution of the Fourth Republic provided for 200 elected members. However, the constitution has since been amended to increase the number to 230 whose term of office is four years just as the President.
Since the Old Parliament House could not accommodate the 200 MPs, Parliament operated temporary at the Accra International Conference Centre before moving to its present location.
The Fourth Republican Parliament has proved to be the most successful of all the parliaments. So far four elections have been held successfully while Parliament has operated successfully. The 1992 Constitution itself is a hybrid of the American and British constitutions. Although it provided for an Executive President, some of the cabinet members have to be chosen from Parliament.
The First Parliament of the Fourth Republic consisted of three parties, namely the National Democratic Congress (189 seats), the National Convention Party (8 seats) and the EGLE (1 seat). It had 16 women, two of who were independent members.
The main opposition parties — the New Patriotic Party (NPP), the People’s National Convention (PNC), the People’s Heritage Party (PHP) and the National Independence Party (NIP) — boycotted the parliamentary elections because they accused the NDC of rigging the presidential election which was conducted earlier.
The minority parties, however, participated in the 1996 parliamentary elections during which the NDC had 133 seats, NPP — 61 seats, People’s Convention Party (PCP) — five seats, PNC — one seat, with the number of women increasing from 16 in 1992 to 18.
The 2000 election brought the opposition NPP to power after waiting at the sidelines and it was the first time one party in power handed over to another.
In that election, the NPP had 100 seats, NDC — 92 seats, PNC — three, CPP — one, and Independent candidates — four. There were 19 women, including one seat won in a by-election. In six by-elections held after the general election, the NPP won all the seats, including three that were occupied by the NDC.
It is also important to point out that in that Parliament, the members of the minority parties decided to be with the Majority side of the House.
In the 2004 elections, the NPP maintained its majority in Parliament and increased its number to 128, NDC — 94, PNC — four, CPP — three and Independent — one. It must be noted that the seats in Parliament were increased from 200 to 230. The number of women in the House also increased to 25.
The members from the PNC, CPP and the independent member also decided to belong to the Majority, since Members of Parliament (MPs) have to either belong to the Minority or the Majority.
Ghana’s parliamentary democracy has now passed its rocky stage and now countries from all over the world look to our Parliament as one of the best examples on the continent.
It is heart-warming that consensus building has been one of the hallmarks of the current parliamentary democratic dispensation. Both the Majority and the Minority sides collaborate on more than 90 per cent of issues and motions that are tabled in the House.
It is unfortunate that the few disagreements that arise in the House are used to judge Parliament as being a polarised House. Ghana’s parliamentary democracy has grown within the past 50 years to become a showpiece and every encouragement should be given to Parliament to continue to develop to its highest level in the coming years.