Constitutional rights and policy strategy advisor Oliver Barker-Vormawor has called on President John Dramani Mahama to take an active role in steering Ghana’s constitutional reform process to ensure its success.
Speaking on Newsfile on JoyNews on Saturday, December 27, Barker-Vormawor said that for the constitutional review process to become a lasting legacy of the current administration, the President must personally supervise the implementation phase.
“I think if this is to be the President’s legacy, then it means that he must superintend the process more closely,” Barker-Vormawor said. “Showing all the right signals at this point is well and good, but the next point of carrying it across to the finish line is perhaps the most important aspect of all the processes.”
The Constitution Review Committee (CRC), chaired by Professor H. Kwasi Prempeh, recently submitted its final report to President Mahama. The report contains recommendations aimed at strengthening Ghana’s democratic framework and governance institutions.
Barker-Vormawor noted that while the CRC’s work is a critical step, the real test lies in transforming its recommendations into policy and law. “I’m hoping that on 7th January, there will be an announcement from the presidency in terms of what the pathway forward is. Whether that looks like an implementation process, hopefully that retains some of the members of the existing committee…” he said.
He emphasised the importance of continuity and institutional memory, cautioning against forming an entirely new committee that could lack context. “When the CRC finishes, we need an implementation committee that builds on the work of the old one. Some of us had to spend months trying to hold them and give them a sense of why we are going in a particular direction,” Barker-Vormawor said.
Barker-Vormawor also called for a collaborative and inclusive approach, involving international partners and legal drafting experts to translate the recommendations into actionable legal provisions. “I hope there is a mixed process, with international partners on board in terms of a drafting committee that can translate these recommendations into drafting language, so we are able to see the process,” he added.
Highlighting the need for strong engagement from the Presidency and Parliament, he urged a clearly defined leadership structure to guide the reform process. “I hope the Presidency is involved, and we can know who is leading the process from the Presidency, to help engage Parliament in the way forward,” he said.
He further advocated for the creation of a parliamentary committee dedicated to studying the proposed constitutional changes, ensuring the process does not become mired in partisan politics. “I want Parliament itself to have a committee that studies and thinks about the way forward so that we don’t retreat into partisan echo-chambers. I genuinely believe that if Parliament sits together with this document, they will see that there is much more in it for them that liberates Parliament,” Barker-Vormawor said.
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