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PARLIAMENT OF GHANA A model of legislative excellence in Africa Parliamentary History of Ghana The Parliament of Ghana was established by Article 93 (1) of the 1992 Constitution. Three earlier attempts at practicing parliamentary democracy ended abruptly. Ghana gained Independence in 1957 and subsequently suffered the first coup d’état in 1966. The Second Republican Parliament of 1969 lasted only 27 months. On 31 December 1981 the Third Republican Parliament of 1979 was also overthrown. Parliament was therefore suspended until 1993 when the country returned to Constitutional Rule under the 1992 Fourth Republic Constitution. Parliamentary democracy has been entrenched since the inauguration of the 4th Republic with political power alternating between two political parties, National Democratic Congress (NDC) and New Patriotic Party (NPP). Currently, the membership of Parliament stands at 275. Mission Legislate, represent and protect the interest of the people of Ghana within the framework of the Constitution, supported by an efficient, nonpartisan, innovative and professional Parliamentary Service structured to ensure the dignity of Parliament. Goals Our goals are to strengthen the capacity of Hon. Members of Parliament to effectively perform Parliament’s legislative function by: Q Ensuring Parliament’s representational function is made more relevant to the needs of the public Q Improving the ability of Parliament to effectively perform its oversight responsibility Q Improving effectiveness and efficiency in the delivery of services Q Ensuring that Parliament has adequate infrastructure to sustain excellence in service delivery Above: The reconfigured and expanded debating Chamber of Parliament with modern ICT infrastructure functionalities Below: The Rt. Hon. Speaker Edward Korbly Doe Adjaho presiding over a sitting of the House with the Clerks-at-the- Table in attendance Below: The Mace symbolises the legislative authority of Ghana’s Parliament similar to the linguist’s staff. It precedes the Speaker’s procession and usually stands in front of the Clerk’s table during parliamentary proceedings. The Mace is embossed with various Ghanaian motifs, depicting the various cultures. The head of the Mace is the eagle, the nation’s heraldic bird


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