President-Elect John Dramani Mahama has pledged to revive and advance Ghana’s stalled constitutional review process, emphasizing the need for inclusive reforms to address emerging governance challenges.
He made this commitment following a courtesy call by the Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council (GPCC) to his office. During his remarks, President-Elect Mahama acknowledged the significant role Ghana’s 1992 Constitution has played in shaping the country’s democratic trajectory but stressed the need to refine certain provisions for future generations.
“The time has come for us to look at our Constitution again. It has served us well, and I still believe it is one of the best constitutions any African country can have. However, after using it for several years, we’ve realized that a few parts need to be tweaked to better serve us going forward”.
President-Elect John Dramani Mahama
President-Elect Mahama highlighted the constitutional review initiative begun under the late President John Evans Atta Mills but lamented its stagnation over the past eight years.
To build consensus and address emerging issues, President-Elect Mahama announced his incoming administration’s plans to organize a “National Validation Conference”.
This platform, he explained, would bring together legal experts, civil society actors, religious leaders, traditional authorities, and political stakeholders to deliberate on recommendations from the earlier constitutional review report produced by the late Professor Mills and the NDC’s administration.
Addressing Emerging Challenges
Moreover, President-elect John Dramani Mahama underscored the importance of incorporating solutions to new challenges that have arisen since the Constitution’s inception.
“Now what we want to do is to bring the constitutional review report back to this validation conference. There might be things that we flagged, that we wanted to amend, that might not be necessary again this time. And then some new things that we didn’t really take notice of, that will become important for us to include in the review.”
President-Elect John Dramani Mahama
Using the recent impasse between Parliament and the Judiciary as an example, he highlighted the need for clearer constitutional provisions to avert ambiguity in governance.
“We must clearly state what the mandate of the Speaker is so that it is unambiguous and no one needs to seek Supreme Court interpretation in such cases. These are the kinds of issues the validation conference will streamline.”
President-Elect John Dramani Mahama
Amending Entrenched and Non-Entrenched Clauses
President-Elect Mahama delineated his approach to constitutional amendments, emphasizing the distinction between entrenched and non-entrenched clauses.
He pointed out that non-entrenched clauses, which only require parliamentary approval, would be prioritized for consensus-building and swift passage by Parliament.
However, President-Elect Mahama noted that the entrenched clauses present a greater challenge, requiring parliamentary approval and a national referendum.
To navigate this process, President-Elect Mahama stressed the importance of bipartisan support and collaboration with civil society, traditional authorities, and religious leaders.
“No single party can single-handedly push through amendments to entrenched clauses. It requires a bipartisan consensus and broad societal support to ensure success“, he stressed.
President-Elect Mahama’s vision for the constitutional review aligns with his broader agenda to strengthen Ghana’s democratic institutions and governance structures.
He assured stakeholders of his commitment to fostering dialogue and inclusivity in addressing constitutional reforms, emphasizing the importance of collaboration at all levels.
READ ALSO: African Energy Investment Surges as Capex Hits $47 Billion in 2024
