Convention People's Party
Encyclopedia
The Convention People's Party (CPP) is a socialist
political party
in Ghana
, based on the ideas of former President
Kwame Nkrumah
.
The CPP was formed in 1949 by Kwame Nkrumah
to campaign for the independence of the Gold Coast
. It ruled Ghana from 1957 to 1966. During the latter part of the CPP rule, the constitution was changed to make it the only legal party in Ghana, making the nation a one-party state. The party was banned after the February 24, 1966 coup d'état
by the National Liberation Council
. Parties following in its tradition have used various names. The party was reformed from some of the Nkrumah factions in 1996.
(UGCC) had been formed in 1947 with the goal of bringing about independence for Ghana. Kwame Nkrumah thought the UGCC's opposition to the colonial rulers lacked the necessary vehemence and urgency; he wanted immediate independence. Breaking from the UGCC on these grounds, he founded the CPP with the motto "self-government now". On 9 January 1950 the CPP called for countrywide boycotts and strikes. In the course of these, two policemen were shot dead, and the CPP leadership was arrested and imprisoned. This only increased Nkrumah's popularity. When general elections were held in 1951, the CPP won decisively despite the imprisonment
of Dr Nkrumah and other party leaders. Nkrumah was subsequently released to form the colony's first African government.
In 1956 further elections were held, with the British promising that if the majority of the people called for it, a date for independence would be set. The CPP won 71 out 104 seats, paving the way for Ghana to gain its independence on 6 March 1957. In 1958, two pieces of legislation approved by the CPP would help hasten Nkrumah's downfall. One was the Trade Union Act, which made strikes illegal, and the Preventive Detention Act, which allowed the government to detain political opponents without trial. The final step was heavily rigged referendum in 1964
which made the CPP the only legal party, with Nkrumah as president for life
of both nation and party.
The stage was set for the overthrow of the CPP in 1966 in a coup d’état by the National Liberation Council
.
After the coup, the CPP was banned.
and the People's Convention Party
merged to form a new Convention People's Party. The CPP has contested each election since 1996.
At the elections
, 7 December 2004, the party won 3 out of 230 seats. Its candidate in the presidential elections
, George Aggudey
, won only 1.0% of the vote.
In the 2008 presidential
and parliamentary elections in Ghana, the party won one parliamentary seat; that of Samia Nkrumah
in the Jomoro constituency
. The presidential candidate, Dr. Paa Kwesi Nduom
performed below expectation managing to get 1.4% of total valid votes.
Socialism
Socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,...
political party
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
in Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
, based on the ideas of former President
President of Ghana
The President of Ghana is the elected head of state and head of government of Ghana. Officially styled President of the Republic of Ghana and Commander-in-Chief of the Ghanaian Armed Forces. The current President of Ghana is Prof. John Atta Mills, who took office in January...
Kwame Nkrumah
Kwame Nkrumah
Kwame Nkrumah was the leader of Ghana and its predecessor state, the Gold Coast, from 1952 to 1966. Overseeing the nation's independence from British colonial rule in 1957, Nkrumah was the first President of Ghana and the first Prime Minister of Ghana...
.
The CPP was formed in 1949 by Kwame Nkrumah
Kwame Nkrumah
Kwame Nkrumah was the leader of Ghana and its predecessor state, the Gold Coast, from 1952 to 1966. Overseeing the nation's independence from British colonial rule in 1957, Nkrumah was the first President of Ghana and the first Prime Minister of Ghana...
to campaign for the independence of the Gold Coast
Gold Coast (British colony)
The Gold Coast was a British colony on the Gulf of Guinea in west Africa that became the independent nation of Ghana in 1957.-Overview:The first Europeans to arrive at the coast were the Portuguese in 1471. They encountered a variety of African kingdoms, some of which controlled substantial...
. It ruled Ghana from 1957 to 1966. During the latter part of the CPP rule, the constitution was changed to make it the only legal party in Ghana, making the nation a one-party state. The party was banned after the February 24, 1966 coup d'état
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
by the National Liberation Council
National Liberation Council
The National Liberation Council was the name of the Ghanaian government after the elected government of the Convention Peoples' Party led by Dr. Kwame Nkrumah was overthrown on February 24, 1966. This government was in place till they handed over to a democratically elected government on October...
. Parties following in its tradition have used various names. The party was reformed from some of the Nkrumah factions in 1996.
Creation
The United Gold Coast ConventionUnited Gold Coast Convention
The United Gold Coast Convention was a political party whose aim was to bring about Ghanaian independence from British rule after the Second World War....
(UGCC) had been formed in 1947 with the goal of bringing about independence for Ghana. Kwame Nkrumah thought the UGCC's opposition to the colonial rulers lacked the necessary vehemence and urgency; he wanted immediate independence. Breaking from the UGCC on these grounds, he founded the CPP with the motto "self-government now". On 9 January 1950 the CPP called for countrywide boycotts and strikes. In the course of these, two policemen were shot dead, and the CPP leadership was arrested and imprisoned. This only increased Nkrumah's popularity. When general elections were held in 1951, the CPP won decisively despite the imprisonment
of Dr Nkrumah and other party leaders. Nkrumah was subsequently released to form the colony's first African government.
CPP Achieves Independence
With all this background, Nkrumah formed his first African cabinet in the British Empire in 1951. This was not independence yet. He still rejected the idea that local rulers who favored the British should be given a role in governing, since he viewed them as undemocratic. Ironically, he would eventually become head of a one-party state.In 1956 further elections were held, with the British promising that if the majority of the people called for it, a date for independence would be set. The CPP won 71 out 104 seats, paving the way for Ghana to gain its independence on 6 March 1957. In 1958, two pieces of legislation approved by the CPP would help hasten Nkrumah's downfall. One was the Trade Union Act, which made strikes illegal, and the Preventive Detention Act, which allowed the government to detain political opponents without trial. The final step was heavily rigged referendum in 1964
Ghanaian constitutional referendum, 1964
A constitutional referendum was held in Ghana on 31 January 1964. The proposed amendments to the constitution would turn the country into a one-party state and increase the powers of President Kwame Nkrumah...
which made the CPP the only legal party, with Nkrumah as president for life
President for Life
President for Life is a title assumed by some dictators to remove their term limit, in the hope that their authority, legitimacy, and term will never be disputed....
of both nation and party.
The stage was set for the overthrow of the CPP in 1966 in a coup d’état by the National Liberation Council
National Liberation Council
The National Liberation Council was the name of the Ghanaian government after the elected government of the Convention Peoples' Party led by Dr. Kwame Nkrumah was overthrown on February 24, 1966. This government was in place till they handed over to a democratically elected government on October...
.
After the coup, the CPP was banned.
CPP rebirth
The CPP remained dissolved till January 29, 1996, when the National Convention PartyNational Convention Party (Ghana)
The National Convention Party is a political party in Ghana that existed between 1992 and January 1996.-Formation:The party was formed in 1992 after the ban on political parties was lifted by the military Provisional National Defence Council government...
and the People's Convention Party
People's Convention Party
The People's Convention Party is a former political party in Ghana.It merged with the National Convention Party in 1996 and became the reformed Convention People's Party....
merged to form a new Convention People's Party. The CPP has contested each election since 1996.
At the elections
Elections in Ghana
Elections in Ghana gives information on election and election results in Ghana.Ghana elects on national level a head of state, the president, and a legislature. The president is elected for a four year term by the people...
, 7 December 2004, the party won 3 out of 230 seats. Its candidate in the presidential elections
Ghanaian presidential election, 2004
The Ghanaian presidential election was held in the Republic of Ghana in West Africa on 7 December 2004. Parliamentary elections were held on the same day.There were four candidates:*George Aggudey...
, George Aggudey
George Aggudey
George Aggudey is a Ghanaian politician. He is a member of the Convention People's Party .Running as the CPP presidential candidate in the 7 December 2004 presidential election, he finished last out of four candidates, winning 1.0% of the vote.-References:...
, won only 1.0% of the vote.
In the 2008 presidential
Ghanaian presidential election, 2008
A presidential election was held in Ghana on 7 December 2008, at the same time as a parliamentary election. Since no candidate received more than 50% of the votes, a run-off election was held on 28 December, 2008 between the two candidates who received the most votes, Nana Akufo-Addo and John Atta...
and parliamentary elections in Ghana, the party won one parliamentary seat; that of Samia Nkrumah
Samia Nkrumah
Samia Yaba Christina Nkrumah is a Ghanaian politician and Chairwoman of the Convention People's Party. In the 2008 parliamentary election, she won the Jomoro constituency seat at her first attempt and recently became the first female to chair a major political party in the country...
in the Jomoro constituency
Jomoro (Ghana parliament constituency)
Jomoro is one of the constituencies represented in the Parliament of Ghana. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election. Jomoro is located in the Jomoro District of the Western Region of Ghana.-Boundaries:...
. The presidential candidate, Dr. Paa Kwesi Nduom
Paa Kwesi Nduom
Paa Kwesi Nduom or Papa Kwesi Nduom, is a business consultant and politician. He is the Convention People's Party's nominee to contest the Ghanaian presidential election in December 2008...
performed below expectation managing to get 1.4% of total valid votes.
Parliamentary elections
| Election | Number of CPP votes | Share of votes | Seats | Outcome of election |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 252,266 | 3.0% | 1 | Only one seat |
| 2004 Ghanaian parliamentary election, 2004 The Ghanaian parliamentary election was held on 7 December 2004. Presidential elections were held on the same day.-Results:-See also:*List of Ghana Parliament constituencies*MPs elected in the Ghana parliamentary election, 2004-External links:**... |
257,466 | 3.0% | 3 | With others in opposition |
| 2000 Ghanaian parliamentary election, 2000 The Ghanaian parliamentary election was held on 7 December 2000. Presidential elections were held on the same day with a second round on 28 December 2000. 62% of registered voters turned out for the elections... |
85,643 | 1.3% | 1 | One seat in opposition |
| 1965 Ghanaian parliamentary election, 1965 Parliamentary elections were held in Ghana in 1965. As the country was a one-party state at the time, no parties except President Kwame Nkrumah's Convention People's Party were allowed to participate.-Background:... |
100% | 198 | One party state. Elected unopposed. | |
| 1956 Gold Coast legislative election, 1956 Elections for the Legislative Assembly were held in the Gold Coast on 17 July 1956. They were won by Kwame Nkrumah's Convention People's Party, which took 71 of the 104 seats.There were around 1,390,000 registered voters... |
71 | Parliament at independence in March 1957. | ||
| 1954 Gold Coast legislative election, 1954 Elections for the Legislative Assembly were held for the second time in the Gold Coast on 15 June 1954. They were won by Kwame Nkrumah's Convention People's Party, which took 71 of the 104 seats.-Background:... |
71 | Majority in Legislative Assembly with CPP government. | ||
| 1951 Gold Coast legislative election, 1951 Elections for the Legislative Assembly were held for the first time in the Gold Coast on 8 February 1951. Although elections had been held for the Legislative Council since 1925, the Council did not have complete control over the legislation, and the voting franchise was limited to councils of chiefs... |
Not available | Not available | First CPP government under colonial rule. |
Presidential elections
| Election | Candidate | Number of votes | Share of votes | Outcome of election |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 Ghanaian presidential election, 2008 A presidential election was held in Ghana on 7 December 2008, at the same time as a parliamentary election. Since no candidate received more than 50% of the votes, a run-off election was held on 28 December, 2008 between the two candidates who received the most votes, Nana Akufo-Addo and John Atta... |
Paa Kwesi Nduom Paa Kwesi Nduom Paa Kwesi Nduom or Papa Kwesi Nduom, is a business consultant and politician. He is the Convention People's Party's nominee to contest the Ghanaian presidential election in December 2008... |
113,494 | 1.3% | Placed 3rd |
| 2004 Ghanaian presidential election, 2004 The Ghanaian presidential election was held in the Republic of Ghana in West Africa on 7 December 2004. Parliamentary elections were held on the same day.There were four candidates:*George Aggudey... |
George Aggudey George Aggudey George Aggudey is a Ghanaian politician. He is a member of the Convention People's Party .Running as the CPP presidential candidate in the 7 December 2004 presidential election, he finished last out of four candidates, winning 1.0% of the vote.-References:... |
85,968 | 1.0% | 4th of 4 |
| 2000 Ghanaian presidential election, 2000 The Ghanaian presidential elections were held on 7 December 2000 with a second ballot on 28 December 2000.Parliamentary elections were held on 7 December 2000.There were seven candidates in the first round of elections on 7 December 2000... |
George Hagan George Hagan (politician) Professor George Panyin Hagan , is a prominent academic and politician in Ghana.-Early life and education:George Hagan was born in Accra in 1938. He had his basic education in Accra, Koforidua, Sekondi and Kumasi because his parents, civil servants, were being transferred... |
115,641 | 1.8% | 4th of 7 |
| 1965 | Kwame Nkrumah Kwame Nkrumah Kwame Nkrumah was the leader of Ghana and its predecessor state, the Gold Coast, from 1952 to 1966. Overseeing the nation's independence from British colonial rule in 1957, Nkrumah was the first President of Ghana and the first Prime Minister of Ghana... |
Elected unopposed. | ||
| 1960 Ghanaian presidential election, 1960 Presidential elections were held for the first time in Ghana on 27 April 1960. The elections were held alongside a referendum on creating an executive presidency... |
Kwame Nkrumah Kwame Nkrumah Kwame Nkrumah was the leader of Ghana and its predecessor state, the Gold Coast, from 1952 to 1966. Overseeing the nation's independence from British colonial rule in 1957, Nkrumah was the first President of Ghana and the first Prime Minister of Ghana... |
1,016,076 | 89.07% | First Ghanaian president Nkrumah government Dr. Kwame Nkrumah was the first Prime Minister and first President of Ghana.-Nkrumah's first independence government :Nkrumah had run governments under the supervision of the British government through Charles Arden-Clarke, the Governor-General. His first government under colonial rule started... |
See also
- Nkrumah governmentNkrumah governmentDr. Kwame Nkrumah was the first Prime Minister and first President of Ghana.-Nkrumah's first independence government :Nkrumah had run governments under the supervision of the British government through Charles Arden-Clarke, the Governor-General. His first government under colonial rule started...