Anlo Youth Organisation

The Anlo Youth Organisation (also known as the Anlo Youth Association) was a political party that existed in the Gold Coast and later Ghana. It campaigned for the Ewe people under British rule to stay within Ghana after independence. It ended by merging with other parties to form a united opposition to the Convention People's Party.

Before independence

The Anlo Youth Organisation was formed by Modesto Apaloo. The party mainly functioned in south-eastern Gold Coast, where the Anlos are located.cite web |url=http://209.85.129.104/search?q=cache:U9WYZMLOaVcJ:www.ghana.gov.gh/ghana/chapter_three_historical_context.jsp+site:www.ghana.gov.gh+%22The+National+Reconciliation+Commission+Report%22+Chapter+3&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=9&gl=uk |title=The Historical Context |accessdate=2007-06-29 |pages=pages 23, 24 & 29|work=National Reconciliation Commission Report Volume 1 Chapter 3 |publisher=Ghana Home Page] The Anlos are a sub group of the Ewes found in Ghana and Togo. Togoland, where the Ewes lived was a German protectorate before World War I. In 1952, the British merged the south-eastern part of the Gold Coast which was part of the Eastern Province with the southern part of Trans-Volta Togoland, the British Togoland. This left the Ewe divided with one half under British rule and the other half under French rule. The party campaigned to have the British Togoland join Gold Coast at independence to form Ghana while the Togoland Congress preferred the UN Trust Territory to be rejoined with French Togoland.

In the election held on 15 June 1954, the party won one of the 104 seats in the Legislative Assembly. [cite web |url=http://africanelections.tripod.com/gh.html#1951_Legislative_Assembly_Election |title=Elections in Ghana |accessdate=2007-06-29 |work=African Elections Database |publisher=Albert C. Nunley] Modesto Apaloo was the sole elected MP from this party. [cite web |url=http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/features/artikel.php?ID=120360 |title=K A. Busia: His Politics of Demagoguery ... |accessdate=2007-06-29 |date=2007-03-07 |last=Botwe-Asamoah |first=Kwame |work=Feature Article |publisher=Ghana Home Page |quote=On April 5, 1955, the Opposition led by Busia and Modesto Apaloo walked out of the Assembly]

After independence

After Ghana obtained independence on 6 March, 1957, the Avoidance of Discrimination Act, 1957 (C.A. 38), was passed. Its purpose was to prohibit the existence of political parties that were based on predominantly " ethnic, religious, or other sectional interests, with effect from 31 December, 1957"

An Act to prohibit organizations using or engaging in tribal, regional,racial and religious propaganda to the detriment of any community, orsecuring the election of persons on account of their tribal, regional orreligious affiliations and for other purpose connected therewith.cite web |url=http://216.239.59.104/search?q=cache:UMmX27UorDUJ:www.ghana.gov.gh/NRC/VOL.%25204%2520Chpt.%25205%2520Professional%2520Bodies.%2520CIV%2520SOC.pdf+Anlo+Youth+Organization&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=11&gl=uk&client=firefox-a |title=Professional Bodies (Other than Legal) and Civil Society Groups |accessdate=2007-06-29 |pages=pages 258 & 259 |work=National Reconciliation Commission Report Volume 4 Chapter 5 |publisher=Ghana Home Page]

This meant that the name Anlo which refers to a section of the Ewe people made it illegal for the party to continue to exist under that law. All the opposition parties, including the National Liberation Movement, Moslem Association Party, Northern Peoples’ Party, Ga Shifimo Kpee, Togoland Congress and the Anlo Youth Organisation merged to form the United Party, under the leadership of Kofi Abrefa Busia.

References

ee also

*List of political parties in Ghana
*United Party (Ghana)