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All 104 seats in the legislative assembly 53 seats needed for a majority | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Turnout | 697,257 (50.1% of registered voters) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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.svg) Africa portal Politics portal |
General elections were held in theGold Coast (soon to becomeGhana) on 17 July 1956. The result was a victory forKwame Nkrumah'sConvention People's Party, which won 71 of the 104 seats.[1]
A new constitution, approved on 29 April 1954, established a cabinet composed of African ministers drawn from an all-African legislature chosen by direct election. In the followinggeneral election, the Convention People's Party won the majority of seats in the new Legislative Assembly.
A new constitution, approved on 29 April 1954, established a cabinet composed of African ministers drawn from an all-African legislature chosen by direct election. Inthe elections that followed, the Convention People's Party won the majority of seats in the new Legislative Assembly. In May 1956,Prime Minister Nkrumah's government issued a white paper containing proposals for Gold Coast independence. TheBritish Government stated it would agree to a firm date for independence if a reasonable majority for such a step were obtained in the Gold Coast Legislative Assembly after a general election.
| Party | Votes | % | Seats | +/– | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Convention People's Party | 398,141 | 57.10 | 71 | –1 | |
| National Liberation Movement | 145,657 | 20.89 | 12 | New | |
| Northern People's Party | 72,440 | 10.39 | 15 | 0 | |
| Togoland Congress | 20,352 | 2.92 | 2 | –1 | |
| Muslim Association Party | 11,111 | 1.59 | 1 | 0 | |
| Federation of Youth | 10,745 | 1.54 | 1 | 0 | |
| Independents | 38,811 | 5.57 | 2 | –9 | |
| Total | 697,257 | 100.00 | 104 | 0 | |
| Registered voters/turnout | 1,392,874 | – | |||
| Source: Nohlenet al. | |||||
After pro-independence parties won a convincing majority, the British government agreed to grant the colony independence. This happened on 6 March 1957, with the country renamed Ghana. Initially aconstitutional monarchy withElizabeth II as head of State, the country's democratic credentials were hampered by the Preventive Detention Act (1958). In 1960a referendum resulted in the country becoming a republic with a presidential form of government, and in 1964 it became aone-party state. Nkrumah was eventually overthrown in 1966.
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*British Togoland only | |
