This tutorial will trace the development of the franchise in Ghana from the colonial period till the attainment of independence in 1957.
Background Information
Franchise (suffrage) or voting rights is also often referred to as the elective principle. Franchise or suffrage is the exercise whereby qualified citizens directly elect their representatives into government.
The idea of introducing the franchise in Ghana or the Gold Coast was first put forward by the National Congress of British West Africa. It was part of NCBWA’s demands presented to the Secretary of State for the colonies, Lord Milner in 1920.
Lord Milner, however, dismissed the demand for the franchise in Ghana and the other British colonies in West Africa. According to him, the time had not yet come for the introduction of the elective principle or franchise in Ghana or in any part of the West African colonies and protectorates.
It was not until the 1920s that the British introduced the elective principle in their four West African colonies.
Introduction of the Elective Principle (1925)
The elective principle was first introduced in Ghana under the Guggisberg Constitution of 1925. Under the previous constitutions African members of the legislative council were nominated or hand-picked by the Governor.
The 1925 constitution allowed three Africans to be directly elected into the Legislative Council. They represented the municipalities of Accra, Cape Coast and Sekondi – Takoradi. The right to elect the representatives to the legislative council was limited to people who earned an income (100 pounds a year) or have some form of immovable property. Thus this was restricted franchise.
Election of Chiefs to the Legislative Council
Under the same Guggisberg constitution, chiefs were to elect their representatives to the Legislative Council through the Provincial Councils of the Eastern, Western and Central Provinces.The provincial council representatives in the legislative council were paramount chiefs. They must be certified, in writing, by the Provincial Commissioner as being able to read and speak English very well. Those who could not do so were disqualified.
Slight Improvement Under the Burns Constitution (1946)
Under the 1946 Burns constitution, the situation did not change much, except that the principle of indirect election was enhanced in terms of membership. The Joint Provincial Council of Chiefs elected representatives from among the council members. The limited or restricted franchise was still confined to the municipalities of Accra, Cape Coast and Sekondi-Takoradi and now, Kumasi.
This period also witnessed the nomination of representatives for the Northern Territories to the Legislative Council for the first time.
Introduction of Partial Universal Adult Suffrage (1951)
Under the 1951 Arden Clarke constitution, Universal Adult Suffrage was granted for the election of representatives to the legislative council within the municipalities of Accra, Cape Coast, Sekondi-Takoradi and Kumasi only.
Electoral Colleges
Electoral Colleges were also created on the basis of universal adult suffrage for the rural areas. These elected representatives to the Legislative Council for the colony and Ashanti. The Northern Territory had their representatives elected by the Territorial Councils.
Establishment of Full Universal Adult Suffrage (1954)
Universal Adult Suffrage was fully established under the 1954 constitution. It made it possible for 104 members of the Legislative Assembly to be elected.
Reduction in the Voting Age to 21 years (1957)
The system of Universal Adult Suffrage was extended to the 1957 independence constitution with the voting age reduced from 25 years to 21 years.
Conclusion
We have been tracing the the development or introduction of the franchise in Ghana from the colonial period to the time Ghana gained her independence from British colonial rule. It is clear that five consecutive constitutions played a major role in the development of the franchise or elective principle in the Gold Coast or Ghana.
Guggisberg constition of 1925
Alan Burns constitution of 1946
Arden Clarke constitution of 1951
Nkrumah constitution of 1954
Independence constitution of 1957
Did you find this information helpful? Then share it on your favourite social media platform for the benefit of others you care about. Thank you!
Image by mohamed Hassan from Pixabay
Ralph Nyadzi is the Director of Studies at Cegast Academy. He is a qualified English tutor with decades of experience behind him. Since 2001, he has successfully coached thousands of High School General Arts WASSCE candidates in English, Literature and related subjects. He combines his expertise with a passion for lifelong learning to guide learners from varying backgrounds to achieve their educational goals. Ralph shares lessons from his blogging journey on BloggingtotheMax. He lives with River, his pet cat, in the Central Region of Ghana.
