the final court of appeal and has jurisdiction over constitutional issues. The Court of Appeal deals with appeals from the High Court, which has jurisdiction over all civil and criminal cases except where they concern treason. All but the most serious civil and criminal cases, and cases under family law, are heard in the circuit courts. These courts also deal with appeals arising from the district courts within their region. The least serious civil cases and most criminal cases come, in the first instance, before the district courts in which magistrates preside. There are also juvenile courts for those under 17 years of age. The chief justice of the Supreme Court is nominated by the President of the republic and approved by parliament. Government and politics Last elections: 7–8 December 2012 (presidential and legislative) Next elections: 2016/2017 (presidential and legislative) Head of State: President John Dramani Mahama Head of Government: the President Ruling party: National Democratic Congress After 19 years at the helm, President Jerry Rawlings was barred by the constitution from seeking another term of office in the December 2000 presidential election. For the first time in Ghana’s history there was a democratic transfer of power, after National Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate Vice-President John Atta Mills was defeated in the second round of the presidential contest by New Patriotic Party (NPP) leader, John Kufuor. The NPP also won the parliamentary elections held on the same day in December 2000 as the first round of the presidential election. Kufuor won the December 2004 presidential election gaining an outright majority in the first round with 53.4 per cent of the votes. His main rival, Atta Mills of the NDC, received 43.7 per cent and the turnout was 83 per cent. In parliamentary elections on the same day the NPP took 128 seats, the NDC 94, People’s National Convention (PNC) four and Convention People’s Party (CPP) three. Kufuor promised to make reducing poverty his priority in his second term. The parliamentary and presidential elections in December 2008 were very close. The NDC won the general election but just fell short of an overall majority; the NDC took 115 seats, NPP 108, PNC two, CPP one and independents four. In the second round of the presidential election, the NDC’s Atta Mills (50.2 per cent) narrowly beat the NPP’s Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo (49.8 per cent), reversing the first-round result of Akufo-Addo 49.1 per cent and Atta Mills 47.9 per cent. Commonwealth observers were present. Gh a n a Following the death of President Atta Mills on 24 July 2012, Vice-President John Dramani Mahama was sworn in as President, in accordance with the law. At the December 2012 elections, when turnout was more than 80 per cent, the NDC won 148 of 275 seats in the enlarged Parliament and the NPP 123. The NDC’s candidate, the incumbent President Mahama, won a very close presidential contest in the first round with 50.7 per cent of votes cast, the NPP’s Akufo-Addo securing 47.7 per cent and the other six candidates the remaining 1.6 per cent. The elections were conducted in the presence of Commonwealth observers led by former Lesotho PM Pakalitha Mosisili, who said that the election had been generally peaceful but that the level of women’s participation as candidates, and thus as representatives, was very low. Local government Ministry: Local Government and Rural Development Association: National Association of Local Authorities of Ghana Ghana has ten regions: Greater Accra, Ashanti, Brong Ahafo, Central, Eastern, Northern, Upper East, Upper West, Volta and Western. Each region is represented in central government by a minister. Local government is provided for by the Local Government Act 1993, and it is enshrined in the constitution. Local government is delivered by metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies. In each assembly area there are elected councils and unit committees onto which service delivery is devolved. Local elections are held every four years. The assemblies have revenue-raising powers, and they receive transfers from national government including the District Assemblies’ Common Fund, whereby at least 7.5 per cent of GDP must be transferred to the assemblies each year. The assemblies are responsible for public health; environmental protection; sanitation; and basic education (national government determines educational policy). Responsibility for social welfare is shared between central and local government. National development plan The Co-ordinated Programme of Economic and Social Development Policies 2010–16 underpins the preparation of development plans and annual budgets at the sector and district levels throughout the country. Policy The long-term objective of the Co-ordinated Programme is the creation of a just, free and prosperous society in which: • Extreme forms of deprivation, such as hunger, homelessness and poverty, are eliminated Commonwealth Governance Handbook 2013/14 165
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