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The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, has stressed the urgent need for a transformation of Ghana’s 1992 Constitution. Speaking at the University of Ghana Alumni Lecture in Accra, under the theme “30 Years of Parliamentary Democracy: The Journey Thus Far,” Bagbin highlighted the growing disillusionment among the country’s youth with democracy, citing findings from Afrobarometer’s 2024 report.
Bagbin expressed concern over the implications of this trend, emphasizing the potential threats it poses to the nation. He pointed out that while the constitution has been instrumental in ensuring political stability, it has significant flaws, particularly in the concentration of power in the executive branch, which undermines the balance of power between the different arms of government.
“The focus of the first brains behind drafting this constitution was to achieve political stability,” Bagbin noted. “If my guess is right, I must admit we have succeeded in doing just that, but at the expense of development. We now have to move on to focus on development. I don’t need to call on, but we must take up a constitutional transformation.”
He further agreed with the growing sentiment among Ghanaians that reform alone is not enough, calling for a complete overhaul of the constitution. “I agree with Ghanaians who say that there is nothing to reform. We have to transform everything. This constitution has many defects, and the time to fix those defects has been long overdue,” he remarked.
Bagbin highlighted three key areas where these constitutional defects have hindered the effectiveness of Parliament, with the primary issue being the excessive concentration of executive power. “While the defects are too many, I will just highlight three of them that have impacted the work of Parliament. One is the excessive executive power,” he said.
Bagbin’s call for constitutional transformation reflects his belief that Ghana must shift its focus from mere political stability to a more balanced and development-oriented governance system.
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