Tough Road Ahead for Ghananian President's Second Term

On March 4, 2021 Ghana's Supreme Court unanimously ruled to uphold the second-term victory of President Nana Akufo-Addo in the December 7, 2020 general elections. Akufo-Addo's opponent and immediate past predecessor John Dramani Mahama, who had challenged the results in court and argued for a rerun, criticised the decision. He and his main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) party, said the presidential and parliamentary results were rigged for Akufo-Addo and the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP). The Akufo-Addo government won't have the numbers to pass its legislative agenda. The NPP and the NDC each hold 137 of the 275 seats in parliament, with the remaining one held by independent Andrew Asiamah Amoako of the Fomena constituency. Ghana operates a semi-parliamentary system that obligates presidents to appoint the majority of ministers from parliament. This approach means the government will need the NDC's support in approving bills because members of parliament who double as ministers, are often not present to vote due to their ministerial duties, writes Sampson Kwarkye and Paul Nana Kwabena Aborampah Mensahfor The Conversation.