Kufuor, John

Kufuor, John
▪ 2002

      On Jan. 7, 2001, Ghanaian politician John Kufuor of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) began his first term as president of Ghana. His inauguration marked the first peaceful transfer of power between democratically elected governments since Ghanaian independence in 1957.

      John Kofi Agyekum Kufuor was born on Dec. 8, 1938, in Kumasi, Ghana's second largest city and the traditional capital of the Asante people. He was the 7th of 10 children and the son of Nana Kwadwo Agyekum, an Asante royal, and Nana Ama Dapaah, a queen mother. Kufuor was educated at Prempeh College, Kumasi, and in Great Britain. He was called to the bar in 1961 at Lincoln's Inn, London, and then studied at the University of Oxford, where he earned (1964) a master's degree in philosophy, politics, and economics.

      After completing his education, Kufuor returned to Ghana and launched his political career. In 1967 he became chief legal officer and town clerk for the city of Kumasi. By 1969 he was a member of Parliament and deputy foreign minister in the government of Kofi Busia. After Busia was overthrown in 1972, Kufuor spent several years as a businessman in the private sector. During Ghana's transition back to democracy in 1979, Kufuor returned to public life. He was a member of the assembly that drafted the constitution of the third republic, and he was elected to Parliament in 1979, serving as deputy minority parliamentary leader. After Jerry Rawlings overthrew the government in late 1981, Kufuor stayed on as Rawlings's secretary for local government. He resigned less than a year later, however, expressing his disappointment with the Rawlings regime.

      Kufuor spent the rest of the decade as a private citizen until Ghana returned to democratic politics in 1992. He helped found the NPP and in 1996 became the party's candidate for president. Though Kufuor lost to Rawlings in the national elections that year, the NPP nominated him again to stand for the 2000 elections. Running on a platform that emphasized improving the Ghanaian economy and educational system and capitalizing on the mood of voters who were ready for a change in leadership, Kufuor won the election by capturing 57% of the vote in a runoff.

      He spent his first year in office concentrating his efforts on the national economy. Though unemployment and inflation remained high, the national currency stabilized, and investment in the country increased.

Amy Settergren

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно сделать НИР?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • John Agyekum Kufuor — John Kufuor John Kufuor 2eprésident de la République du Ghana …   Wikipédia en Français

  • John Kufuor — (2006) John Agyekum Kufuor (* 8. Dezember 1938 in Kumasi) ist ein ghanaischer Politiker und war von 7. Januar 2001 bis 7. Januar 2009 Präsident von Ghana. Inhaltsverzeichnis …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Kufuor — John Kufuor (2006) John Agyekum Kufuor (* 8. Dezember 1938 in Kumasi) ist ein ghanaischer Politiker und war von 7. Januar 2001 bis 7. Januar 2009 Präsident von Ghana. Inhaltsverzeichnis 1 Ausbildung …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • John Agyekum Kufuor — John Kufuor (2008) John Agyekum Kufuor (* 8. Dezember 1938 in Kumasi) ist ein ghanaischer Politiker und war von 7. Januar 2001 bis 7. Januar 2009 Präsident Ghanas. Seit 2008 ist er Träger der Sonderstufe des Großkreuzes des Verdienstordens der… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • John Kufuor — John A. Kufuor Mandats 2eprésident de la IVe …   Wikipédia en Français

  • John Kufuor — en 2006. Presidente de Ghana 7 de enero de 2001 – 7 de enero de 2009 …   Wikipedia Español

  • John Atta Mills — Präsidentschaftswahl Poster von John Atta Mills John Evans Atta Mills (* 21. Juli 1944 in Tarkwa) ist ein ghanaischer Politiker, nach den Präsidentschaftswahlen in Ghana 2008 ist er seit dem 7. Januar 2009 Präsident der Republik Ghana. Karriere …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • John Evans Atta Mills — Präsidentschaftswahl Poster von John Atta Mills John Evans Atta Mills (* 21. Juli 1944 in Tarkwa) ist ein ghanaischer Politiker, nach den Präsidentschaftswahlen in Ghana 2008 ist er seit dem 7. Januar 2009 Präsident der Republik Ghana. Karriere …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • John Atta-Mills — Präsidentschaftswahl Poster von John Atta Mills John Evans Atta Mills (* 21. Juli 1944 in Tarkwa) ist ein ghanaischer Politiker. Er ist ethnischer Fante und seit dem 7. Januar 2009 ist er amtierender Präsident Ghanas …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • John Atta Mills — Pour les articles homonymes, voir Mills. John Atta Mills …   Wikipédia en Français

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”