Ghana’s Ambassador to the United States of America (USA), Victor Smith, has shared some details of the events that led Ghana’s transition from military rule to a constitutional government.

Speaking on Channel One TV on September 23, 2025, Smith disclosed that the transition was influenced by Western countries, particularly the United States.

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According to him, during one of his personal encounters with the late former President Jerry John Rawlings, the latter revealed that he had received an emissary from the US State Department during his time in military rule.

He said that the emissary delivered a letter instructing him to begin preparations for transitioning the country to civilian rule with mounting pressure.

“… Subsequently, there was pressure to go constitutional rule as opposed to the military dictatorship. At one point when President Kufuor came into office, he [Rawlings] kept criticising President Kufuor. I asked President Rawlings, ‘If you still want to go back to politics, why did you hand over then? Because I couldn't understand, if you still want to work, why did you quit?

“And he said, ‘Did I have a choice?’ And I said, ‘What do you mean? You were the head of state. He said, yes, but there was a day that he got a visitor, an emissary from the US State Department, came to look for him and he gave him a letter which said he should prepare the country for civilian rule with no options,” he narrated.

Victor Smith added that former President Rawlings, upon receiving the letter, consulted with his advisors, which eventually led to Ghana's transition to constitutional rule.

He added that the Western powers preferred Rawlings as a constitutionally elected leader rather than a military dictator.

“So, he conferred with his advisors and then we went constitutional. Of course, he became president. Well, that is all that the Western (sic) wanted that he can’t rule continuously like a dictator. So, well, he went through it and he finished his term,” he continued.

Smith added, “President Kufuor came and we carried on the fourth republican constitution, which was signed by him, and has survived since 1992. Nobody has even attempted to throw the constitution away. So, for me, that is a positive.”

The politician attributed Ghana’s democratic and constitutional system of governance to the efforts of the late President Jerry John Rawlings, crediting him with putting an end to military overthrows in the country.

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“He managed to leave the country in a state where coup d’états became a thing of the past. He ended it and for me, we can give praise for that if for nothing at all. And we've been working with that constitution, and the Supreme Court has been working at interpreting what the framers meant at any point in time where there was a disagreement,” he concluded.

MAG/AE

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