The flagbearer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) for the December 7, 2024 general election, John Dramani Mahama, has reiterated his resolve to continue with the processes towards reviewing the 1992 Constitution if elected president at the pending polls.
“As leader of the National Democratic Congress, I wish to reiterate my commitment to continue the various processes towards implementing the white paper (on the constitutional review) if elected President in December 2024, focusing on strengthening governance institutions, protecting citizens’ rights, and fighting corruption.
“The reforms will aim to reduce the influence of an overreaching executive, put an end to the creeping politicisation of state institutions, reduce excessive spending on Article 71 officeholders to bridge the unacceptable disparity between them and other categories of workers and strengthen the fundamental rights of all citizens,” Mr Mahama said.
This assurance was contained in a statement former President Mahama issued in Accra on Sunday, to commemorate Ghana’s Constitution Day; a day set aside in recognition of the fourth republic.
The constitutional review process which commenced under the presidency of the late John Evans Atta Mills in 2010 was hit with a lawsuit by US-based Ghanaian lawyer, Prof. Stephen Kwaku Asare in 2014; arguing that the Review Commission had usurped the powers of Parliament in its work.
The suit was however, dismissed by the Supreme Court in a 5-2 majority decision in 2015 shooting down Prof. Asare’s prayer for an order directing the then President, John Mahama and state agencies to permanently cease and desist from proceeding with the review process.
According to the former president, although imperfect, democratic governance has served Ghana well and offers hope for its sustained progress and an opportunity for collective reflection on where it has faltered and how it could consolidate the gains made.
“True democracy goes beyond elections; it should improve governance, enhance individual freedoms, and most importantly, ensure a decent quality of life for citizens,” he stressed.
Rallying the citizenry to uphold their collective responsibility to sustain the country’s democracy, the former President urged the Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo government to refrain from actions that continue to undermine democratic rights under their administration.
To NDC leader, “the use of thugs and rogue elements within the security agencies to disrupt elections in some parts of the country as occurred in the 2020 elections, leading to the loss of eight lives, will forever be remembered as Ghana’s day of infamy and an indelible blemish on our democratic credentials established over the last 32 years of constitutional rule.”
He said it was unconscionable that three years after the tragic loss of lives at the polls, “our President, Nana Akufo-Addo, has not uttered even a word of sympathy to the bereaved families” as the perpetrators of these “murders” continue to walk as free men and still hold on to positions of authority and power.
The government, the NDC flagbearer said must appreciate that they have an obligation to guarantee peaceful elections this year and the loss of even one Ghanaian life would not be countenanced.
“I urge all Ghanaians to exercise eternal vigilance as we prepare for elections later this year, to ensure that no abuses of the system ensue and that only the choice of the people, exercised freely prevails,” he stated.
BY JULIUS YAO PETETSI