Ghana Government - 1986

GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES 

Official name: Republic of Ghana

Type: republic; 31 December 1981 coup ended two-year-old civilian government and suspended constitution and political activity

Capital: Accra

Political subdivisions: 8 administrative regions and separate Greater Accra Area; regions subdivided into 58 districts and 267 local administrative districts

Legal system: based on English common law and customary law; legal education at University of Ghana (Legon); has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

National holiday. Independence Day, 6 March

Branches: executive authority vested in seven-member Provisional National Defense Council (PNDC); on 21 January 1982 PNDC appointed secretaries to head most ministries

Government leader; Fit. Lt. (Ret.) Jerry John RAWLINGS, Chairman of PNDC (since December 1981)

Suffrage, none

Elections: elections held in June 1979 for parliament and president; presidential runoff election held in July; none scheduled since 1981 coup

Political parties and leaders: political parties outlawed after 31 December 1981 coup

Communists: a small number of Communists and sympathizers

Member of: AfDB, Commonwealth, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBA, IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDA IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IRC, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAU, UN, UNESCO, UPU, World Confederation of Labor WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

NOTE: The information regarding Ghana on this page is re-published from the 1986 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency and other sources. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Ghana 1986 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Ghana 1986 should be addressed to the CIA or the source cited on each page.