Lawyer and former Chair of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) and the Electoral Commission of Ghana, Charlotte Osei, has emphasised the importance of caution and balance in Ghana’s constitutional reform process.
She stressed that the aim is to resolve existing challenges without creating new problems. Her comments were made on Newsfile on JoyNews on Saturday, December 27.
Her remarks come after the Constitution Review Committee (CRC) submitted its final report to President John Dramani Mahama on Monday, December 22.
The report includes major recommendations such as the separation of the legislature from the executive, the reaffirmation that there is no provision for a third presidential term, and the proposal to extend the presidential term from four to five years.
Speaking on the programme, Ms Osei, who was a member of the CRC, detailed the committee’s rigorous approach.
“We have a document of about a hundred pages in which we examined, clause by clause, all the recommendations previously made. We recorded our own assessments in a separate column and began with the history, while also engaging the public to obtain feedback and decide whether to follow the existing recommendations or chart a new path,” she said.
Ms Osei highlighted the committee’s careful consideration of Article 71, which deals with the remuneration of public officeholders.
“This issue has appeared in every previous report. We decided to adopt a holistic approach through a one-stop Public Emoluments Commission, such as the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission. This allows us to address ex gratia payments and other concerns in a fair and comprehensive manner, rather than simply abolishing arrangements without providing a practical alternative,” she explained.
She emphasised that the process was guided by the principle of fairness for all public officeholders, including members of parliament, judiciary officials, and the executive.
“It is not just a matter of picking one aspect and saying ‘scrap it.’ When you remove an existing arrangement, what replaces it? We were very mindful not to create problems while trying to solve existing problems. If we do not have the expertise to set emoluments ourselves, it is logical to leave that to the experts,” Ms Osei said.
The former Electoral Commission Chair also drew parallels with previous reforms in local government, noting that commissions reviewing the constitution often face challenges in establishing lasting solutions.
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