Gold Coast legislative election, 1956
Encyclopedia
Elections for the Legislative Assembly
were held in the Gold Coast
(soon to become Ghana
) on 17 July 1956. They were won by Kwame Nkrumah
's Convention People's Party
, which took 71 of the 104 seats.
There were around 1,390,000 registered voters. Turnout was approximately 50%.
, the Convention People's Party won the majority of seats in the new Legislative Assembly. In May 1956, Prime Minister
Nkrumah's government issued a white paper containing proposals for Gold Coast independence. The British
Government stated it would agree to a firm date for independence if a reasonable majority for such a step were obtained in the Gold Coast Legislative Assembly after a general election.
with Elizabeth II
as head of State, the country's democratic credentials were hampered by the Preventive Detention Act (1958). In 1960 a referendum
resulted in the country becoming a republic with a presidential form of government, and in 1964 it became a one-party state. Nkrumah was eventually overthrown in 1966.
Parliament of Ghana
The Parliament of Ghana is the legislative body of the Ghanaian government.-History:Legislative representation in Ghana dates back to 1850, when the country was a British colony. The body, called the Legislative Council, was purely advisory as the Governor exercised all legislative and executive...
were held in the Gold Coast
Gold Coast (British colony)
The Gold Coast was a British colony on the Gulf of Guinea in west Africa that became the independent nation of Ghana in 1957.-Overview:The first Europeans to arrive at the coast were the Portuguese in 1471. They encountered a variety of African kingdoms, some of which controlled substantial...
(soon to become Ghana
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 17 July 1956. They were won by 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...
's Convention People's Party
Convention 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...
, which took 71 of the 104 seats.
There were around 1,390,000 registered voters. Turnout was approximately 50%.
Background
A new constitution, approved on 29 April 1954, established a cabinet composed of African ministers drawn from an all-African legislature chosen by direct election. In the elections that followedGold Coast legislative election, 1954
Elections for the Legislative Assembly were held for the second time in the Gold Coast on 15 June 1954. They were won by Kwame Nkrumah's Convention People's Party, which took 71 of the 104 seats.-Background:...
, the Convention People's Party won the majority of seats in the new Legislative Assembly. In May 1956, Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Ghana
The Prime Minister of Ghana was the head of government of Ghana from 1957 to 1960 and again from 1969 to 1972.-History of the office:The country's first leader and Prime Minister was Kwame Nkrumah of the Convention People's Party...
Nkrumah's government issued a white paper containing proposals for Gold Coast independence. The British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Government stated it would agree to a firm date for independence if a reasonable majority for such a step were obtained in the Gold Coast Legislative Assembly after a general election.
Results
| Party | Votes | % | Seats | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Convention People's Party Convention 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... |
398,141 | 57.1 | 71 | 0 |
| National Liberation Movement National Liberation Movement (Ghana) The National Liberation Movement was a Ghanaian political party formed in 1954. Set up by disaffected Ashanti members of the Convention People's Party, who were joined by Kofi Abrefa Busia, the NLM opposed the process of centralization whilst supporting a continuing role for traditional leaders.... |
145,657 | 20.9 | 12 | |
| Northern People's Party Northern People's Party The Northern People's Party was a political party in the Gold Coast which aimed to protect the interests of those in the Northern region of Ghana.... |
72,440 | 10.4 | 15 | |
| Togoland Congress Togoland Congress The Togoland Congress was a political party formed in 1951 to campaign for the unification of the Ewe people in British Togoland and French Togoland as a separate Ewe state. The party was defeated in the May 1956 UN plebiscite in British Togoland, which resulted in the unification of British... |
20,352 | 2.9 | 2 | 0 |
| Muslim Association Party Muslim Association Party The Muslim Association Party was a political party in the Gold Coast, active from 1954 to 1957.The MAP grew out of the Gold Coast Muslim Association, which was established as a welfare and social association in 1932. Involved in politics by the early 1950s, it became the Muslim Association Party... |
11,111 | 1.6 | 1 | 0 |
| Federation of Youth | 10,745 | 1.5 | 1 | |
| Independents Independent (politician) In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do... |
38,811 | 5.6 | 2 | |
| Total | 697,257 | 100 | 104 | 0 |
| Source: Nohlen et al | ||||
Aftermath
After pro-independence parties won a convincing majority, the British government agreed to grant the colony independence. This happened on 6 March 1957, with the country renamed Ghana. Initially a constitutional monarchyConstitutional monarchy
Constitutional monarchy is a form of government in which a monarch acts as head of state within the parameters of a constitution, whether it be a written, uncodified or blended constitution...
with Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
as head of State, the country's democratic credentials were hampered by the Preventive Detention Act (1958). In 1960 a referendum
Ghanaian constitutional referendum, 1960
A constitutional referendum was held in Ghana on 27 April 1960. The main issue was a change in the country's status from a constitutional monarchy with Elizabeth II as head of state, to a republic with a presidential system of government....
resulted in the country becoming a republic with a presidential form of government, and in 1964 it became a one-party state. Nkrumah was eventually overthrown in 1966.