Civil society organisations (CSOs) have called for the enactment of a legally binding roadmap to protect Ghana’s ongoing constitutional reform process from disruptions that could arise from political transitions.
The proposal was made during a two-day media workshop on constitutional reforms in Kumasi, organised by the Citizens’ Platform on Constitutional Reforms (CPCR), a coalition convened by the Centre for Democratic Development-Ghana (CDD-Ghana), STAR-Ghana Foundation, Democracy Hub and local governance networks.
Speaking at the workshop, a member of the Ashanti Regional Coordinating Team of Amnesty International, Ms Victoria Asumin, said the reform process had entered a critical implementation phase following the submission of the Constitution Review Committee’s report.
She said the Citizens’ Platform was advocating the passage of a Constitutional Reform Implementation and Roadmap Act to provide a clear framework for implementing the recommendations.
According to Ms Asumin, the proposed legislation would define specific reform objectives, assign responsibilities to relevant institutions and establish timelines for public consultations, legislative drafting, parliamentary consideration, civic education and mandatory referendums.
She recalled that the eight-member Constitution Review Committee, chaired by Professor H. Kwesi Prempeh, submitted its final report on February 10, 2026.
The report contains 206 proposals, comprising 149 amendments to existing constitutional provisions and 59 new constitutional clauses.
The recommendations followed 10 thematic stakeholder sessions, a review of 785 written submissions, contributions from more than 500 experts and direct engagements with over 21,500 citizens.
One of the major recommendations accepted by the Government is the proposal to extend the presidential term from four to five years. Ms Asumin clarified that the proposal would retain the existing two-term limit and would not permit a third term.
Other areas targeted by the reforms include presidential appointments and executive powers, parliamentary functions, local governance, natural resource management, public finance, independent constitutional bodies, electoral systems, political party regulation, judicial accountability and long-term national development planning.
Ms Asumin stressed that the committee’s recommendations did not automatically become law, explaining that their implementation would require formal constitutional and statutory procedures, including national referendums for entrenched provisions and parliamentary processes for non-entrenched amendments.
The Government has subsequently inaugurated an 11-member Constitution Review Implementation Committee, chaired by Presidential Legal Counsel and former Attorney-General, Ms Marietta Brew, to assess the review report alongside the Government’s position paper and develop an implementation framework.
However, CSOs expressed concern about the scale of the proposed reforms, which involve more than 50 constitutional amendments and over 14 legislative bills.
Ms Asumin said because the process was likely to extend beyond the 2028 general elections and the tenure of the current Parliament, a binding legal framework was necessary to ensure continuity regardless of changes in government.
She urged the media to educate the public on the proposals and their legal implications, while calling for sustained funding for civic education, particularly in underserved communities.
She also disclosed that the Affirmative Action Law Coalition and allied women’s rights groups were preparing a position paper advocating proportional representation and constitutional gender quotas to promote greater participation by women, youth and persons with disabilities in governance.
FROM KINGSLEY E. HOPE, KUMASI
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