Parliament of Ghana

Parliament of Ghana
8th Parliament of the 4th Republic
Type
Type	Unicameral
Leadership
Speaker	Alban Bagbin (NDC) since 7 January 2021
Majority Leader	Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu (NPP) since 7 January 2017
Structure
Seats	275
Political groups	Majority (138):   NPP (137)   Independent (1) Minority (137):   NDC (137)
Elections
Voting system	First-past-the-post
Last election	7 December 2020
Meeting place
Parliament House Accra, Greater Accra Republic of Ghana
Website
www.parliament.gh

The Parliament of Ghana is the legislative body of the Government of Ghana.

Committees

As at November 2020, the Parliament had 14 Standing Committees and 16 Select Committees. There was 1 ad hoc committee.

Standing Committees: Appointments • Business • Committee of Selection • Finance • Gender and Children Government Assurance • House • Judiciary • Members Holding Offices of Profit • Privileges Public Accounts • Special Budget • Standing Orders • Subsidiary Legislation

Select Committees: Communications • Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs • Defence and Interior • Education • Employment, Social Welfare and State Enterprises Environment, Science and Technology • Food, Agriculture and Cocoa Affairs • Foreign Affairs • Health • Lands and Forestry • Local Government and Rural Development Mines and Energy • Roads and Transport • Standing Orders • Trade, Industry and Tourism • Works and Housing • Youth, Sports and Culture

Ad-hoc Committee:
Poverty Reduction Strategy committee

Members

• For a list of members, see List of MPs elected in the 2020 Ghanaian general election.

There were 140 members in both the Second and the Third Republic parliaments.

• 2nd Republic parliament: 1969 — 1972
• 3rd Republic parliament: 1979 — 1981

In the Fourth Republic, the number of MPs first increased to 200 and subsequently to 275. There have been 8 parliaments in the Fourth Republic. The list of its members are below.

• 1st parliament: 1993 — 1997
• 2nd parliament: 1997 — 2001
• 3rd parliament: 2001 — 2005
• 4th parliament: 2005 — 2009
• 5th parliament: 2009 — 2013
• 6th parliament: 2013 — 2017
• 7th parliament: 2017 — 2021
• 8th parliament: 2021 —

Speaker

Main article: Speaker of the Parliament of Ghana

U.S. President Barack Obama shakes hands after delivering a speech to the Parliament at the Parliament House in July 2009

US Speaker Nancy Pelosi delivering a speech to the Parliament at the Parliament House in July 2019

• Speaker - The Speaker presides over the Parliament and enforces observance of rules that govern its conduct. After a general election the majority party in Parliament, in consultation with other parties, nominates a Speaker.

The Speaker cannot be a Member of Parliament though they must possess the qualifications to stand for elections as a Member of Parliament, such person on appointment as Speaker must resign and declare the seat occupied in Parliament as vacant. The Speaker is assisted by 2 Deputy Speakers (First and Second Deputy Speakers), who are elected at the commencement of every Parliament. They must come from different political parties. The Speaker is Alban Kingsford Sumani Bagbin.

• First Deputy Speaker - The First Deputy Speaker presides over the sittings of Parliament whenever the Speaker is absent. The First Deputy Speaker is Joseph Osei Owusu of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
• Second Deputy Speaker - The Second Deputy Speaker presides over the sittings of Parliament in the absence of the Speaker and the First Deputy Speaker. The Second Deputy Speaker is Andrew Amoako Asiamah an independent candidate.
• Majority Leader - The Majority Leader is elected from the party with a majority of parliamentary seats. A deputy majority leader and a majority chief whip assist them, constituting the majority leadership of Parliament. The Majority Leader is Osei Kyei-Mensah Bonsu of NPP.
• Deputy Majority Leader- A deputy majority leader and a chief whip assist them, constituting the Majority leadership of Parliament. The Deputy Majority Leader is Alexander Afenyo-Markin of NPP.
• Minority Leader - The Minority leader is elected from the second largest party in Parliament. A deputy minority leader and a chief whip assist them, constituting the minority leadership of Parliament. The Minority Leader is Haruna Iddrisu of NDC.
• Deputy Minority Leader - A deputy minority leader and a chief whip assist them, constituting the minority leadership of Parliament. The Deputy Minority Leader is James Klutse Avedzi of NDC.

Gold Coast (1951 – 1957)

Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, and National Assembly in 1957

Name	Took office	Left office	Notes
Emmanuel Charles Quist	March 1951	December 1957

Independent State within the Commonwealth (1957 – 1960) / First Republic (1960 – 1966)

Ghanaian Parliamentary Election Map, 2008

Map of Ghana's parliamentary constituencies as per MP's party affiliation as at 2008. NB: Where constituencies are too small to be shown (i.e. Accra and Tamale Metropolitan Areas) the majority party elected in the district is shown.

Green: National Democratic Congress (NDC) Blue: New Patriotic Party (NPP) Yellow: People's National Convention (PNC) Red: Convention People's Party (CPP)

Grey: Independent

Speakers of the National Assembly

Name	Took office	Left office	Notes
Augustus Molade Akiwumi	February 1958	June 1960
Joseph Richard Asiedu	July 1960	June 1965
Kofi Asante Ofori-Atta	10 June 1965	24 February 1966

Second Republic (1969 – 1972)

Speaker of the National Assembly

Name	Took office	Left office	Notes
Nii Amaa Ollennu	October 1969	13 January 1972

Third Republic (1979 – 1981)

Speaker of the National Assembly

Name	Took office	Left office	Notes
Jacob Hackenbug Griffiths-Randolph	24 September 1979	31 December 1981

Fourth Republic (1992 – )

Speakers of Parliament

Name	Took office	Left office	Notes
Daniel Francis Annan	7 January 1993	6 January 2001
Peter Ala Adjetey	7 January 2001	6 January 2005
Ebenezer Sekyi Hughes	7 January 2005	6 January 2009
Joyce Adeline Bamford-Addo	7 January 2009	6 January 2013
Edward Adjaho	7 January 2013	6 January 2017
Aaron Mike Oquaye	7 January 2017	6 January 2021
Alban Sumani Bagbin	7 January 2021	Incumbent

Constituencies

Main article: Ghana Parliament constituencies

External links

• Official website