NPP rejects govt-led overhaul of constitution, demands Constituent Assembly
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has rejected the approach being pursued by the Mahama government to implement changes to the 1992 Constitution, describing it as a move to rewrite the supreme law of the land.
At a press conference on Thursday, September 17, the Chairman of the NPP Policy Committee and Member of Parliament for Ofoase/Ayirebi, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, said the sheer scale of the proposed amendments requires a broad-based, non-partisan process.
“The New Patriotic Party therefore rejects this approach being pursued by the NDC government in essentially rewriting the 1992 Constitution,” Oppong Nkrumah stated.
He disclosed that the Constitution Review Committee is recommending amendments to 147 out of the 299 articles of the Constitution – about 49% of the document – in addition to 59 entirely new provisions.
According to him, the proposals affect core pillars of the state, including the Executive, the Legislature, independent constitutional bodies and local government.”
Amending 147 of 299 articles, together with 59 new provisions, that is, 206 reaching into the executive, the legislature, independent constitutional bodies, and local government, is not just an adjustment to some provisions of the constitution; they amount to the overhaul of the constitution and in substance the enactment of a new one,” he argued.
Oppong Nkrumah further alleged a major rift between government and the Review Committee, claiming that government has substituted its own position for about 100 of the 147 recommendations made by the independent committee set up by the President.
He said government should not proceed without first establishing a broad deliberative process involving key stakeholders.
The NPP is therefore demanding the constitution of a Constituent Assembly to lead the review to guarantee neutrality, broad consultation and legitimacy ahead of any referendum, noting that it is the globally accepted standard for such a fundamental exercise.
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