Cabinet has completed deliberations on the government’s position paper responding to recommendations submitted by the Constitution Review Committee.
The development concludes Cabinet’s internal consideration of the proposed constitutional changes after its final meeting on the document was delayed earlier in the week.
Attorney-General and Minister for Justice Dominic Ayine is expected to publish the position paper and provide a detailed public briefing next week. The presentation will disclose the government’s decisions on the committee’s recommendations and outline the next stage of the review process.
The committee proposed changes affecting the executive, Parliament, local government administration and the determination of remuneration for specified public office holders.
One proposal would extend Ghana’s presidential term from four years to five years. The current constitutional arrangement provides a four-year term and permits a president to serve no more than two elected terms.
The committee also proposed ending the system under which ministers may serve simultaneously as Members of Parliament. Ghana’s Constitution currently requires the majority of ministers to be appointed from among MPs, creating a direct link between the executive and the legislature.
Another recommendation concerns the creation of an independent Emoluments Commission. The proposed institution would deal with the determination of remuneration for categories of public office holders whose conditions of service are presently handled through existing constitutional arrangements.
The committee further proposed reforms to the appointment of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives. The appointment of MMDCEs has remained a prominent part of the national constitutional debate because of their role in local administration and the relationship between district-level leadership and the central government.
Cabinet’s completed deliberations do not by themselves amend the Constitution. The legal process for implementing any accepted recommendation will depend on the constitutional status of the affected provision and the amendment procedure applicable to it.
The government has not publicly disclosed which recommendations Cabinet accepted, rejected or modified. Those decisions are expected to become known when the position paper is released.
The publication will also clarify whether the administration intends to pursue all approved reforms together or handle them in separate stages.
The Constitution Review Committee’s work forms part of a renewed national process examining aspects of the 1992 Constitution. Its recommendations have generated public interest because they address the structure of government, executive authority, parliamentary representation, local accountability and public-sector remuneration.
The next formally announced event is the Attorney-General’s public briefing. Ayine is expected to present the government’s position paper next week and explain the decisions taken by Cabinet on the individual proposals.
