Jerry John Rawlings (22 June
1947 – 12 November 2020)[1] was a Ghanaian military
officer and politician who led the country from 1981 to 2001 and also for a
brief period in 1979. He led a military junta until 1992, and then
served two terms as the democratically elected president of Ghana.[2][3][4]
Rawlings came to power in Ghana as
a flight lieutenant of
the Ghana Air Force following
a coup d'état in
1979. Prior to that, he led an unsuccessful coup attempt against the ruling
military government on 15 May 1979, just five weeks before scheduled democratic
elections were due to take place. After handing power over to a civilian
government, he took back control of the country on 31 December 1981 as the
chairman of the Provisional
National Defence Council (PNDC). In 1992, Rawlings resigned
from the military, founded the National
Democratic Congress (NDC), and became the first President of
the Fourth Republic. He was re-elected in 1996 for four more years.[5] After two terms in office, the
limit according to the Ghanaian Constitution,
Rawlings endorsed his vice-president John Atta Mills as a presidential
candidate in 2000. Rawlings served as the African Union envoy to Somalia. He died after a short illness in
November 2020.[6]
Contents
Jerry John Rawlings was born Jerry Rawlings
John on 22 June 1947 in Accra, Ghana, to Victoria
Agbotui, an Ewe from Dzelukope, Keta,
and James Ramsey John, a chemist from Castle Douglas in Kirkcudbrightshire, Scotland, with descendants living in Newcastle and London. Rawlings attended Achimota School and a military academy at
Teshie.[4][7] Rawlings was married to Nana Konadu Agyeman,
whom he met while at Achimota College. They had three
daughters: Zanetor Rawlings,
Yaa Asantewaa Rawlings, Amina Rawlings; and one son, Kimathi Rawlings.[8][9]
Education
and military career[edit]
Rawlings finished his secondary education
at Achimota College in 1967.[10] He joined the Ghana Air Force
shortly afterwards; on his application, the military switched his surname John
and his middle name Rawlings.[11] In March 1968, he was posted
to Takoradi, in Ghana's Western Region,
to continue his studies. He graduated in January 1969, and was commissioned as
a pilot officer,
winning the coveted "Speed Bird Trophy" as the best cadet in flying
the Su-7 ground attack supersonic jet
aircraft as he was skilled in aerobatics. He earned the rank of flight lieutenant in April 1978. During
his service with the Ghana Air Force, Rawlings perceived a deterioration in
discipline and morale due to corruption in the Supreme
Military Council (SMC). As promotion brought him into contact
with the privileged classes and their social values, his view of the injustices
in society hardened. He was thus regarded with some unease by the SMC. After
the 1979 coup, he involved himself with the student community of the University of Ghana,
where he developed a more leftist ideology through reading and discussion of
social and political ideas.[12]
1979 coup and purges[edit]
Rawlings grew discontented with Ignatius Kutu
Acheampong's government, which had come to power through a coup in
January 1972.[7] Acheampong was accused not only
of corruption, but also of maintaining Ghana's dependency on pre-colonial
powers, in a situation which led to economic decline and impoverishment.[7]
Rawlings was part of the Free Africa
Movement, an underground movement of military officers who wanted to unify
Africa through a series of coups. On 15 May 1979, five weeks prior to civilian
elections, Rawlings and six other soldiers staged a coup against the government
of General Fred Akuffo, but
failed and were arrested by the military.[13] Rawlings was publicly
sentenced to death in a General Court Martial and imprisoned, although
his statements on the social injustices that motivated his actions won him
civilian sympathy.[13] While awaiting execution,
Rawlings was sprung from custody on 4 June 1979 by a group of soldiers.[14] Claiming that the government
was corrupt beyond redemption and that new leadership was required for Ghana's
development, he led the group in a coup to oust the Akuffo Government and
Supreme Military Council.[10] Shortly afterwards, Rawlings
established and became the Chairman of a 15-member Armed
Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC), primarily composed of
junior officers.[15][10] He and the AFRC ruled for 112
days and arranged the execution by firing squad of eight military officers,
including Generals Kotei, Joy Amedume, Roger Felli, and Utuka, as well as the
three former Ghanian heads of state; Acheampong, Akuffo, and Akwasi Afrifa.[7][4]
These executions were dramatic events in
the history of Ghana,
which had previously suffered few instances of political violence. Rawlings
later implemented a much wider "house-cleaning exercise" involving
the killings and abduction of over 300 Ghanaians. Elections were held on time
shortly after the coup. On 24 September 1979, power was peacefully handed over
by Rawlings to President Hilla Limann, whose People's National Party
(PNP) had the support of Nkrumah's followers.[15] Two years later, on 31
December 1981 Rawlings ousted President Hilla Limann in a coup d'état, claiming that civilian rule was
weak and the country's economy was deteriorating. The killings of the Supreme
Court justices (Cecilia
Koranteng-Addow, Frederick Sarkodie, and Kwadjo Agyei Agyepong),
military officers Major Sam Acquah and Major Dasana Nantogmah also occurred
during the second military rule of Rawlings. However, unlike the 1979
executions, these persons were abducted and killed in secret and it is unclear
who was behind their murders, though Joachim Amartey Kwei and
four others were convicted of murdering the Justices and Acquah, and were
executed in 1982.[16]
1981 coup and reforms[edit]
Believing the Limann regime to be unable to
resolve Ghana's neocolonial economic dependency, Rawlings led a second coup
against Limann and indicted the entire political class on 31 December 1981.[17] In place of Limann's People's
National Party, Rawlings established the Provisional
National Defence Council (PNDC) military junta as the official
government.[17]
Rawlings hosted state visits from
"revolutionaries" from other countries, including Dési Bouterse (Suriname),[18] Daniel Ortega (Nicaragua), and Sam Nujoma (Namibia).[19] More famously, Rawlings
reversed Limann's boycott of Gaddafist Libya, allowing the Black Stars to
compete in the 1982 African
Cup of Nations. The team won the AFCON trophy for the fourth time,
their last win as of 2020.[20]
Although the PNDC claimed
to be representative of the people, it lacked experience in the creation and
implementation of clear economic policies.[7] Rawlings, like many of his
predecessors, attributed current economic and social problems to the
"trade malpractices and other anti-social activities" of a few
businesspeople.[21] In December 1982, the PNDC
announced its four-year economic program of establishing a state monopoly on
export-import trade with the goal of eliminating corruption surrounding import
licences and shift trade away from dependency on Western markets.[21] Unrealistic price controls were imposed on the market
and enforced through coercive acts, especially against businesspeople.[7] This resolve to employ state
control over the economy is best demonstrated by the destruction of the Makola No.1 Market.[21] The PNDC established Workers'
Defence Committees (WDCs) and People's Defence Committees (PDCs) to mobilize
the population to support radical changes to the economy.[21] Price controls on the sale of
food were beneficial to urban workers, but placed undue burden on 70% of the
rural population whose income largely depended on the prices of agricultural
products.[21] Rawlings' economic policies
led to an economic crisis in 1983, forcing him to undertake structural
adjustment and submit himself to election to retain power.[22] Elections were held in January
1992, leading Ghana back to multiparty democracy.[17]
1992 elections[edit]
Further
information: Rawlings government
Rawlings established the National
Commission on Democracy (NCD) shortly after the 1982 coup, and employed it to
survey civilian opinion and make recommendations that would facilitate the
process of democratic transition. In March 1991, the NCD released a report
recommending the election of an executive president, the establishment of a
national assembly, and the creation of the post of prime minister. The PNDC
used NCD recommendations to establish a committee for the drafting of a new
constitution based on past Ghanaian Constitutions, that lifted the ban on
political parties in May 1992 after it was approved by referendum.[17]
On 3 November 1992, election results
compiled by the INEC from 200 constituencies showed that Rawlings' NDC had won
60% of the votes, and had obtained the majority needed to prevent a second
round of voting.[17] More specifically, the NDC won
62% in the Brong-Ahafo region, 93% in the Volta region, and majority votes in
Upper West, Upper East, Western, Northern, Central, and Greater Accra regions.[17] His opponents Professor Adu Boahen won 31% of the votes, former
President Hilla Limann won 6.8%, Kwabena Darko won 2.9%, and Emmanuel Erskine won 1.7%.[17] Voter turnout was 50%.[23]
The ability of opposition parties to
compete was limited by the vast advantages Rawlings possessed. Rawlings'
victory was aided by the various party structures that were integrated into
society during his rule, called the "organs of the revolution".[17] These structures included the
Committees for the Defence of the Revolution (CDRs), Commando Units, 31
December Women's Organization, the 4 June movement, Peoples Militias, and
Mobisquads, and operated on a system of popular control through intimidation.[17] Rawlings held a monopoly over
national media, and was able to censor print and electronic media through a
PNDC newspaper licensing decree, PNDC Law 221.[17] Moreover, Rawlings imposed a
20,000 cedis (about $400) cap on campaign contributions, which made national
publicity of opposition parties virtually impossible. Rawlings himself began
campaigning before the official unbanning of political parties and had access
to state resources and was able to effectively meet all monetary demands
required of a successful campaign.[23][17] Rawlings travelled across the
country, initiating public-works projects and giving public employees a 60% pay
rise prior to election day.[23]
Opposition parties objected to the election
results, citing incidences of vote stuffing in regions where Rawlings
was likely to lose and rural areas with scant populations, as well as a bloated
voters' register and a partisan electoral commission.[17][23] However, the Commonwealth
Observer Group, led by Sir Ellis Clarke, approved of the election as
"free and fair", as there were very few issues at polling stations
and no major incidences of voter coercion.[17] In contrast, the International
Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) issued a report
supporting claims that erroneous entries in voter registration could have
affected election results.[17] The Carter Center did acknowledge minor electoral
issues but did not see these problems as indicative of systematic electoral
fraud.[23]
Opposition parties boycotted subsequent
Ghana parliamentary and presidential elections, and the unicameral National
Assembly, of which NDC officials won 189 of 200 seats and essentially
established a one-party parliament that lacked legitimacy and only had limited
legislative powers.[23] After the disputed election,
the PNDC was transformed into the National Democratic Congress (NDC).[24]
Rawlings took office on 7 January 1993, the
same day that the new constitution came into effect, and the government became
known as the Fourth Republic of
Ghana.[25]
Policies and reforms[edit]
Rawlings established the Economic Recovery
Program (ERP) suggested by the World Bank and the International
Monetary Fund in 1982 due to the poor state of the economy
after 18 months of attempting to govern it through administrative controls and
mass mobilization.[23] The policies implemented
caused a dramatic currency devaluation, the removal of price controls, and
social-service subsidies which favored farmers over urban workers, and
privatization of some state-owned enterprises, and restraints on government
spending.[23] Funding was provided by
bilateral donors, reaching US$800 million in 1987 and 1988, and
US$900 million in 1989.[23]
Between 1992 and 1996, Rawlings eased
control over the judiciary and civil society, allowing a more independent
Supreme Court and the publication of independent newspapers. Opposition parties
operated outside of parliament and held rallies and press conferences.[23]
1996 elections[edit]
Given the various issues with the 1992
elections, the 1996 elections were a great improvement in terms of electoral
oversight. Voter registration was re-compiled, with close to 9.2 million
voters registering at nearly 19,000 polling stations, which the opposition had
largely approved after party agents had reviewed the lists.[23] The emphasis on transparency
led Ghanaian non-governmental organizations to create the Network of Domestic
Election Observers (NEDEO), which trained nearly 4,100 local poll watchers.[23] This organization was popular
across political parties and civic groups. On the day of the election, more
than 60,000 candidate agents monitored close to all polling sites, and were
responsible for directly reporting results to their respective party leaders.[23] The parallel vote-tabulation
system allowed polling sites to compare their results to the official ones
released by the Electoral commission.[23] The Inter-Party Advisory
Committee (IPAC) was established to discuss election preparations with all
parties and the Electoral Commission, as well as establish procedures to
investigate and resolve complaints.[23][26] Presidential and parliamentary
elections were held on the same day and see-through boxes were used in order to
further ensure the legitimacy of the elections.[23] Despite some fears of
electoral violence, the election was peaceful and had a 78% turnout rate, and
was successful with only minor problems such as an inadequate supply of ink and
parliamentary ballots.[23]
The two major contenders of the 1996
election were Rawlings' NDC, and John Kufuor's Great Alliance, an amalgamation
of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the People's Convention Party (PCP).[23] The Great Alliance based their
platform on ousting Rawlings, and attacked the incumbent government for its
poor fiscal policies. However, they were unable to articulate a clear positive
message of their own, or plans to change the current economic policy. As Ghana
was heavily dependent on international aid, local leaders had minimal impact on
the economy. The Electoral Commission reported that Rawlings had won by 57%,
with Kufuor obtaining 40% of the vote. Results by district were similar to
those in 1992, with the opposition winning the Ashanti Region and some constituencies in
Eastern and Greater Accra, and Rawlings winning in his ethnic home, the Volta Region, and faring well in every other
region.[23] The NDC took 134 seats in the
Assembly compared to the opposition's 66, and the NPP took 60 seats in the
parliament.[27][28]
Post military[edit]
In accordance with his constitutional
mandate, Rawlings' term in office ended in 2001. He retired in 2001 and was
succeeded by John Agyekum Kufuor,[29] his main rival and opponent in
1996.
Kufuor succeeded in defeating Rawlings'
vice-president John Atta Mills in 2000.
In 2004, Mills conceded to Kufuor and Kufuor ran for another four years.[30]
Post presidency[edit]
In November 2000, Rawlings was named the
first International
Year of Volunteers 2001 Eminent Person by UN
Secretary-General Kofi Annan, attending various events and
conferences to promote volunteerism. [31]
In October 2010, Rawlings was named as
the African Union envoy
to Somalia.[32] In November 2010, he attended
the inauguration of Dési Bouterse as President of Suriname,
and took a tour of the country. He was especially interested in the Ghanaian
origins of the Maroon people.[18]
Rawlings delivered lectures at
universities, including Oxford University in England.[33] Rawlings continued his heavy
support for NDC.[34] In July 2019, he went on a
three-day working trip to Burkina Faso in the capacity of Chairman
of the Thomas Sankara Memorial Committee.[35]
In September 2019, he paid a tribute on
behalf of the president and people of Ghana, when he led a delegation to the
funeral of Robert Mugabe, the
late former president of Zimbabwe.[36][37]
Death[edit]
Rawlings died on 12 November 2020 at Korle-Bu
Teaching Hospital in Accra, a week after having been admitted
for a short term illness in Ghana.[38][39] His death came nearly two
months after that of his mother, Victoria Agbotui, on 24 September 2020.[40] President Nana Akufo-Addo declared a seven-day
period of mourning in his honor and flags flown at half-mast.[41] His family members appealed to
the Government of Ghana to
bury him in Keta in the Volta region.[42]
A schedule for the signing of the Book of
Condolence was opened in his memory.[43]
Awards and honours[edit]
·
October 2013: Honorary degree (Doctorate of Letters)
from the University
for Development Studies in northern Ghana.
This award recognised Rawlings's contribution to the establishment of the
University. In 1993, he used his US$50,000 Hunger Project cash
prize as seed money to sponsor the establishment of the state-owned university
(founded in May 1992), the first of its kind in the three northern regions of Ghana.[44]
·
October 2013: the Global Champion for
People's Freedom award bestowed the Mkiva Humanitarian Foundation.[45]
Legacy[edit]
The President Nana Akufo-Addo proposed to the Governing
Council of UDS to
rename the institution after Rawlings.[46]
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