The Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), in collaboration with the STAR-Ghana Foundation and Democracy Hub, has officially launched the CSO Platform on Constitutional Reform to advocate a comprehensive review of the 1992 Constitution.
With support from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) of the United Kingdom, the platform seeks to mobilise citizens and civic groups to actively participate in the ongoing constitutional reform process.
It will serve as a hub for dialogue, advocacy and collaboration, ensuring that the voices and priorities of citizens are reflected in the reform outcomes as the Constitutional Review Committee prepares and submits its report.
Held last Friday, the launch formally introduced the Platform to the public, highlighted its objectives and presented the roadmap for strengthening the capacity of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) to engage effectively in the reform process.
Notable among the attendees were the Head of Political Security and Governance, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office of the UK, Hooman Nouruzi; Executive Director of IDEG, Dr Emmanuel Akwetey, and a representative of Star-Ghana Foundation, Dr Esther Offei-Aboagye; Founder of Democracy Hub, Oliver Barker-Vormawor, Citi FM’s Bernard Avle and Programmes Officer, CDD Ghana, Vera Abena Addo.
Long overdue
Speaking at the launch, CDD-Ghana’s Director of Policy Engagement and Partnerships, Dr Kojo Asante, described the initiative as a “formal beginning of a struggle” to reimagine Ghana’s governance system and reduce the excessive dominance of the executive in national affairs.
He stressed that constitutional reform was long overdue, noting that Ghanaians had made repeated attempts over the past three decades to amend the constitution without success.
"Everybody understands that we've been trying to amend the Constitution for a very, very long time.
We all have been sort of put out by the problems that we think we have with our current governance architecture - the dominance of the executive presidents," he said.
He warned that public disillusionment with democracy was growing, citing Afrobarometer data showing waning trust in Ghana’s democratic system.
Coordinating efforts
The Head of Programmes at STAR-Ghana Foundation, Eunice Aghenyadzi, drawing on lessons from the 2010 constitutional reform exercise, which failed to move beyond a final report, stressed the need for civil society to go beyond submitting proposals to actively engaging the entire political process to ensure meaningful reforms are implemented.
"I think as civil society organisations and also citizens, we have a great opportunity to influence how we are governed," he stated.
On his part, Mr Barker-Vormawor explained the legal and procedural framework for amending Ghana’s 1992 Constitution, distinguishing between entrenched and non-entrenched provisions—the former requiring a national referendum and the latter amendable through Parliament.
Turning to lessons from the 2010 Constitutional Review Commission, he observed that while civil society had effectively contributed to the content of proposed reforms, it failed to sustain advocacy and oversight during the implementation phase, allowing government to reject key recommendations.
Without strong civic participation, he cautioned, the process risked becoming another missed opportunity for reform.
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