[ 2012-07-15 ]

Ghanaians can still make inputs into constitutional review process
Ghanaians still have windows of opportunity to
influence the debate in the country's
constitutional review process, says Prof. Albert
Kodzo Fiadjoe, Chair of the Constitution Review
Commission (CRC).

He says none of the recommendations in the
Commission's report was arrived at casually or
without very deep thought, though he admits there
could be dissenting views on its propositions.

“There are still constitutional avenues for
Ghanaians to improve upon the recommendations of
the Commission and the White Paper and tighten the
screws”, he observed.

Prof. Fiadjoe has identified four stages at which
inputs can be made before the Constitution is
ultimately amended. These include the drafting
state at the Ministry of Justice and
Attorney-General's Department; the advisory stage
by the Council of State; when the Amendment
Bill(s) are presented to Parliament; and at the
people's Referendum.

The CRC Chair was addressing a forum in Kumasi
aimed at facilitating effective communication of
content of the CRC report and government's White
Paper to Ghanaians.

Media personnel, traditional leaders and officials
of the National Commission for Civic Education
(NCCE) drawn from the Ashanti, Brong Ahafo and
Eastern regions are attending the two-day
engagement.

According to Prof. Fiadjoe, the CRC's work had
keen interest to move more power and resources
from the centre to the units, to especially
protect the vulnerable and marginalized in
society.

He emphasized the need for Ghana to move from the
politics of democracy to the economics of
democracy “so that Ghanaians may look at it as a
source of renewed hope for the future”.

He therefore tasked the media to be at the
“frontline as soldiers” in information
dissemination of recommendations in the CRC report
and government White Paper.

Deputy Minister of Justice and Attorney-General,
Ebo Barton-Oduro, reiterated government's
commitment to ensure people are informed on the
CRC's work and other related law reform
programmes.

The Constitution Review Commission was mandated in
January 2010 to elicit the views of Ghanaians and
undertake a consultative review of the 1992
Constitution.

In December 2011, the Commission's report was
submitted to government and subsequently in June
2012, a Government White Paper accepted almost 90
percent of the CRC's recommendations.

Information Minister, Frederic Fritz Baffour said
the government will soon announce a five-member
implementation committee to facilitate the process
of amending the 1992 Constitution.

Source - MyjoyOnline

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