By Mavis Paintsil, Accra
The Citizens’ Platform on Constitutional Reforms (CPCR), a coalition of over 100 civil society organisations, labour unions and professional bodies, has cautioned government against turning the ongoing constitutional review into a partisan exercise, insisting the 1992 Constitution belongs to the Ghanaian people.
The Platform, convened by CDD-Ghana, Democracy Hub and STAR-Ghana Foundation, made the call today at a press conference in Accra to mark the International Day of Democracy.
Addressing the media, CPCR said while it acknowledges the work done by government so far, how Ghana makes the new Constitution matters as much as what goes into it.
How We Got Here
CPCR recalled that in 2025, the President established the Constitution Review Committee which did work across the country and submitted its final report on 29th January 2026.
On 28th July 2026, government published that report together with its own Position Paper and committed to move to implementation through the Constitution Review Implementation Committee.
“Ghana has attempted constitutional reform before and allowed good work to gather dust. That government has engaged the Committee’s recommendations seriously is itself an achievement,” the Platform noted.
4 Process Guarantees Demanded
CPCR is demanding four key guarantees to safeguard the legitimacy of the exercise:
A Constitutional Reform Implementation and Roadmap Act: The Platform says Ghana must learn from 2012, when the Prof. E.V.O. Dankwa Implementation Committee’s work was abandoned, and 2019 when the local government referendum was called off. It is demanding a law that sets out the order of reforms, who is responsible, and firm timelines, so the process survives any election or change of government. Over 50 constitutional amendments and 14 bills are involved.
Clarify Mandate of Implementation Committee:* CPCR says the Committee should not be limited to copying government’s Position Paper into bills. Its mandate should be genuine consensus-building with authority to recommend changes to government’s own positions. It also wants government to pause any bill running ahead, including the Conduct of Public Officers Bill.
Fairness of the Referendum: When Ghanaians vote on entrenched clauses, the referendum must give them a fair and meaningful choice.
Genuine Public Participation:* CPCR says with support from partners it has organised trainings across the country, developed accessible guides and created platforms for citizens to contribute. It insists the process must reach beyond Accra and ensure people’s contributions influence the final outcome.
Where CPCR Agrees With Government
CPCR said there is considerable common ground with government and listed 16 areas it supports, including:- Creating an independent Political Parties Regulatory Commission under the Constitution- Moving presidential election to first week of November to extend transition from one month to two- Placing binding constitutional safeguards on certificates of urgency- Introducing proportional representation to improve women, youth and PWD representation- Allowing dual citizens who are Ghanaian by birth to serve as MPs- Giving ordinary MPs power to introduce bills and defining what is a money bill- Making a vote of censure binding – censured Minister must be removed- Placing clear limits on what outgoing President can do between election and swearing-in- Separating Attorney-General from Cabinet and creating a Minister of Justice- Reducing filing of presidential election petition to 14 days and Supreme Court determination to 30 days- Allowing election of MMDCEs without presidential nomination- Establishing an Independent Public Emoluments Commission- Giving citizens a direct route to propose constitutional amendments- Expanding NCCE functions to include organising presidential debates- Passing a comprehensive Human Rights Ac- Completing abolition of the death penalty
Where CPCR Disagrees
The Platform listed 16 fundamental areas where it wants government to reconsider:
a. Extending Presidential and Parliamentary term from 4 to 5 years – CPCR wants 4 years retained
b. Refusal to limit presidential appointing powers
c. Allowing MPs to serve as Ministers – wants clear separation
d. Increasing Parliament to 300 by adding 24 PR seats – wants PR within 276 ceiling
e. Refusal to establish Devolution Commission as independent constitutional body
f. Making MMDCE election subject to presidential nomination and vetting
g. Refusal to recognise constitutional right to meaningful public participation in law-making
h. Guarantee of only 80% of DACF to Assemblies – wants 10% of national revenue, 100% transferred without deductions
i. Continued allocation of DACF to MPs – says it confuses legislative with executive role
j. Democracy Fund only through ordinary legislation – wants constitutionally protected funding for EC, NCCE, CHRAJ
k. Statutory Public Ethics Commission instead of independent Anti-Corruption and Ethics Commission
l. Retaining Council of State largely as advisory body under presidential influence – wants its recommendations binding
m. Removing National Media Commission’s power over state-owned media
n. Leaving environmental rights to ordinary law – wants right to clean, healthy environment and free, prior and informed consent
o. Rejecting independent mechanism for investigating abuses by security services – wants specialised unit within CHRAJ
p. Rejecting national development-planning framework – wants long-term National Development Plan approved by Parliament
“These issues concern the independence of our institutions, the balance of power among the branches of government, the protection of citizens’ rights and the integrity of the constitutional reform process itself,” CPCR said.
Next Steps
The Platform said it will in coming days seek engagements with the President, leadership of the opposition, the Implementation Committee, leadership of Parliament, organised labour and professional bodies.
“We recognise Government may not agree on every point. That is precisely why dialogue is important. We approach these engagements in good faith,” it said, urging Ghanaians not to wait until the referendum before becoming involved.
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