Organized civil society, professional bodies and trade associations are calling on government to open up the constitutional amendment process.
According to the group it is imperative for the current proposals for amendment of the 1992 Constitution to be opened up for the people’s involvement and ownership.
‘’The Ghanaian public has had little or no opportunity to engage with and understand the work of the Constitutional Review Implementation Committee (CRIC). Very few people therefore know and understand the actual issues on which the forthcoming referendum would be conducted. Yet, amendments have been proposed on thirty-four (34) entrenched clauses on which voters would be required to cast a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ vote,” a statement from the Civic Forum Initiative said.
The Civic Forum Initiative further noted that ‘’opening up the process to inclusive or broad based participation will strengthen popular commitment to the amended Constitution’’.
‘’This will uphold the spirit and of article 35 (6) (d) of the 1992 Constitution (Directive Principles of State Policy) which calls on the State to afford the people all possible opportunities to participate in decision making at all levels of national life,’’ the statement added.
On April 28, 2014, the Civic Forum Initiative (CFI) and a broader coalition of civil society organizations, professional bodies and trade associations launched a nation-wide campaign for multi-party governance reforms aimed at strengthening peace, political stability, democratic development and the unity of Ghana.
Ghananians will be voting on proposed changes to the 1992 constitution in 2014 – the first time ever a constitution will be amended via referendum.
The Constitutional Review Implementation Committee (CRIC) is working in collaboration with the Electoral Commission (EC) to hold a referendum on proposals for constitutional amendments this year.
The amendments would include some entrenched provisions in the 1992 Constitution.
Click to read the statement from the group
By: Evans Effah/citifmonline.com/Ghana