The 1992 Constitution, which has served the nation for more than three decades, is opposed by four political parties.
The two major political parties, the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), as well as the Progressive People's Party (PPP) and the People's National Convention (PNC), think that the Constitution served the Fourth Republic well with successful transfers of power and a stable government. The Convention People's Party (CPP) believes that the Constitution has outlived its purpose and needs to be reviewed thoroughly.
Last Wednesday in Accra, the parties discussed their positions at the most recent Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) seminar on constitutional review. Seminar
The seminar was a component of the IEA's mission to evaluate Ghana's 1992 Constitution to further the nation's sustainable growth and good governance.
Justice Sophia Akuffo, a former Chief Justice, served as its chair.
NPP
Peter Mac Manu, a former national chairman of the NPP, said that the change should be focused on certain clauses.
For instance, he claimed, the Constitution must be changed after 30 years of rule under the democratic system to permit full involvement of political parties in the election of metropolitan, municipal, and district chief executives (MMDCEs).
According to him, it is appropriate for people to use the platforms of political parties to run for office and be supported in local-level elections since the Constitution fosters democracy and political tolerance.
He emphasised the results of the 774 districts in Nigeria that had district-level elections.
"The Constitution must give them a stage on which to run for office.
If we claim to be democratic, we must show it not just at the national level but also at the local level.
On affirmative action, Mr Mac Manu stated that the Constitution must include language allowing for a quota to be set aside for women and members of underrepresented groups to achieve gender parity in appointments.
The former NPP Chairman stated that Article 112 (5) of the 1992 Constitution, which mandates that a bye-election be held within 30 days of a vacancy occurring in Parliament, should be changed to let the parties propose a candidate for the position. NDC
Sammy Gyamfi, the NDC's national communications officer, spoke on behalf of the party and stated that while the party supported the need for constitutional reform, political parties and significant stakeholders' disagreements prevented a review of the Constitution.
He hinted that the late Professor John Evans Atta Mills established a constitutional review committee to start the process, which resulted in the release of a white paper on the review, as an indication that the NDC was amenable to a review.
He claimed nonetheless that the white paper had not been put into practice.
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