Jerry Rawlings

Paper Summary:

This paper looks at the career of Jerry Rawlings, the military and political leader who led the coup that ousted the military junta in Ghana in 1979. It examines how at the time, he stepped aside to allow a civilian president, Hilla Limann, govern and how in December 1981, he deposed Limann, suspended the constitution, banned all political parties and later introduced economic reforms in 1983 that helped revive the economy. It shows how Rawlings came to power as leader in 1982 and how the first government lasted until 1987 as the Provisional National Defense Council (PNDC).

From the Paper:

"In the period immediately after the creation of the AFRC, the group made it clear that it saw the former leadership as having failed to be accountable to the people. The administration of Hilla Limann was thus expected to measure up to the new standard of accountability advocated by the AFRC. Limann's People's National Party (PNP) began the Third Republic with control of only 71 of the 140 legislative seats -- the opposition Popular Front Party (PFP) won 42 seats, while 26 seats were distributed among three lesser parties. Limann was a former diplomat and a noncharismatic figure with no personal following, and the ruling PNP included people of conflicting ideological orientations. The most immediate threat to the Limann administration was the AFRC, especially those officers who organized themselves into the "June 4 Movement" to monitor the civilian administration, which is why the government ordered Rawlings and several other army and police officers associated with the AFRC into retirement. This clearly proved ineffective as the economy continued its decline ("Ghana and the Rawlings Era")."

More papers on Jerry Rawlings:

• Essay # 15585 : "President Jerry Rawlings Of Ghana"
• Essay # 73814 : "Jerry and the Dog in "The Zoo Story"
• Term Paper # 122122 : "Ben and Jerry's"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: