Parliament

Parliament name (generic / translated)

Structure of parliament

Leadership

President

Secretary General

Composition

Members (statutory / current number)

Women (current number)

Mode of designation

Term

Last renewal dates

Legal Framework

Electoral law

Mode of designation

Voting system

Voter requirements

• age: 18 years
• Ghanaian citizenship
• ineligibility: insanity

Candidates

Eligibility

• age: 21 years
• Ghanaian citizenship
• residence in the constituency where running or residence there for at least five of the 10 years immediately preceding the elections
• payment of taxes (or satisfactory arrangements to this effect)
• ineligibility: allegiance to a foreign State, undischarged bankrupts, detained criminal lunatics, conviction for high crime or treason or for an offence involving the security of the State, fraud, dishonesty or moral turpitude, death sentence, imprisonment for at least 10 years, electoral offence, incompetence to hold public office, unlawful acquisition of assets while being a public officer, defraud of the State or misuse or abuse of office, wilful action in a manner prejudicial to the interest of the State

Incompatibilities

• election-connected offices
• membership of the Civil Service and various other public services
• membership of the armed forces
• traditional chiefs

Candidacy requirements

• support of qualified electors from same constituency
• deposit of 500 cedi, reimbursed if candidate obtains at least 12 per cent of the valid votes

Appointment and term of office

Title

Term

• duration: 4 years (term of House)
• reasons for interruption of the term: becomes a Minister or Deputy Minister illness leadind to incapacity any action that disqualifies him for election as a Member of Parliament

Appointment

Eligibility

• Members of the Parliament nominated by their party, with formal notification of candidature

Voting system

• formal vote by secret ballot at the simple majority
• if there is a succession of votes, new candidates are admitted and certain candidatures must be withdrawn in the light of the results of the previous vote

Procedures / results

• the Clerk of Parliament presides over the Assembly during the voting
• the Clerk of Parliament and representatives of various parties in the Parliament supervise the voting
• the Clerk announces the results immediatly after the election,
• the result can be challenged

Status

Status

• ranks third after the President of the Republic and his Vice President
• in the absence of the President of the Republic and his Vice President, the Speaker acts as Head of State
• represents the Parliament in international bodies (Union of African Parliaments, Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, Inter-Parliamentary Union)
• is ex officio President of the Committee of Selection and of the Standing Orders Committee
• in the absence of the Speaker, two Deputy Speakers can assume his/her role and functions

Board

• the Parliamentary Service Board is regulated by the Constitution
• is composed of 6 members: the Speaker (Chairman), a majority leader, a minority leader, a former M.P, a femal M.P, the Clerk of the Parliament
• meets once a month or when necessary, on the initiative of the Speaker

Material facilities

• allowance
• official car
• official residence
• secretariat
• free medical care
• police protection