1992 — Ghana's Fourth Republic

On April 28, 1992, Ghanaians went to the polls to decide their country's future, voting yes or no on a brand-new constitution. After eleven years of military rule under Jerry John Rawlings, the referendum was the gateway back to democracy. A stunning 92.6 percent voted yes. The new constitution created the Fourth Republic, with four-year presidential terms, guaranteed human rights, and a free press written into its foundation.

Unlike Ghana's first three republics, each cut short by a coup, the Fourth Republic still stands today. That April vote became the doorway through which Ghana returned to constitutional rule and stayed there.