Ghanaian constitutional referendum, 1964
Encyclopedia
A constitutional referendum was held in Ghana
on 31 January 1964. The proposed amendments to the constitution would turn the country into a one-party state and increase the powers of President Kwame Nkrumah
. With results showing that an implausible 99.91% of voters supported the amendments, the referendum was described as "obviously rigged".
as the sole legal party (though the country had essentially been a one-party state since independence in 1957). Nkrumah became president for life
of both nation and party, with greatly expanded powers. For instance, he could now remove members of the Supreme Court at his discretion. In effect, the amendments transformed Nkrumah's regime into a legal dictatorship. Elections were held under this system in 1965. However, Nkrumah was overthrown in a coup in February 1966, the CPP was dissolved, and the constitution suspended. Multi-party politics was restored by the time of the next elections
in 1969.
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
on 31 January 1964. The proposed amendments to the constitution would turn the country into a one-party state and increase the powers of President Kwame Nkrumah
Kwame Nkrumah
Kwame Nkrumah was the leader of Ghana and its predecessor state, the Gold Coast, from 1952 to 1966. Overseeing the nation's independence from British colonial rule in 1957, Nkrumah was the first President of Ghana and the first Prime Minister of Ghana...
. With results showing that an implausible 99.91% of voters supported the amendments, the referendum was described as "obviously rigged".
Results
| Choice | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|
| For | 2,773,920 | 99.91% |
| Against | 2,452 | 0.09% |
| Total | 2,776,372 | 100% |
| Source: African Elections database | ||
Aftermath
Following the successful passage of the constitutional amendments, the country became a one-party state, with the Convention People's PartyConvention People's Party
The Convention People's Party is a socialist political party in Ghana, based on the ideas of former President Kwame Nkrumah.The CPP was formed in 1949 by Kwame Nkrumah to campaign for the independence of the Gold Coast. It ruled Ghana from 1957 to 1966...
as the sole legal party (though the country had essentially been a one-party state since independence in 1957). Nkrumah became president for life
President for Life
President for Life is a title assumed by some dictators to remove their term limit, in the hope that their authority, legitimacy, and term will never be disputed....
of both nation and party, with greatly expanded powers. For instance, he could now remove members of the Supreme Court at his discretion. In effect, the amendments transformed Nkrumah's regime into a legal dictatorship. Elections were held under this system in 1965. However, Nkrumah was overthrown in a coup in February 1966, the CPP was dissolved, and the constitution suspended. Multi-party politics was restored by the time of the next elections
Ghanaian parliamentary election, 1969
The Ghanaian parliamentary election was held on 29 August 1969. This was the first parliamentary election since the 1966 coup by the National Liberation Council which toppled the Nkrumah government. The election was to select members for the 140 seat legislative body. Kofi Abrefa Busia, the leader...
in 1969.