Participants in town hall meetings have suggested limiting or abolishing the appointment of ministers from Parliament.

That, they argued, would strengthen separation of powers, improve oversight and boost ministerial performance.

They were of the view that Members of Parliament (MPs), who also became Ministers, focused more on government work, which weakened Parliament’s ability to check their actions.

The participants were concerned that the dual roles of MPs weakened checks and balances between branches of government.

These were the outcomes of town hall fora on “Citizens’ expectations of the new government: findings from post-election town hall forums.”

It was organised by the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), between February 25 and March 20, 2025, with support from the Foreign, Commonwealth and

Development Office (FCDO). It was to gather the views and expectations of citizens regarding the priorities and direction of the government of Ghana.

The regional town hall fora, which focused on 10 themes — local government, the constitutional review, anti-corruption, cost of politics, education, state-owned enterprises, electoral reforms, the economy, youth development and illegal mining (galamsey) — were undertaken in 12 regions, with 14 town hall meetings (10 regional and 4 specialised town halls).

The regional town halls were purposefully selected to capture regional diversity, socio-political dynamics and grassroots perspectives while the four specialised forums targeted the youth, women, PWDs and the elderly.

Presentation

At a presentation of the outcomes of the forums, the Director of Policy Engagement and Partnerships of the CDD, Dr Kojo Pumpuni Asante, said the discussions highlight a strong citizen desire for more accountable, transparent and inclusive governance structures that address Ghana's national and development challenges.

He said the discussions revealed widespread concerns about corruption, with citizens demanding stronger accountability mechanisms and effective enforcement.

Dr Asante said constitutional reforms, particularly regarding the Council of State and the dual role of MPs as ministers, were prominently discussed, with many participants advocating for clearer separation of powers.

“Citizens expressed the need for reforming the Council of State to enhance transparency, effectiveness and accountability,” he noted.

Reform

Dr Asante said participants suggested the reform of the selection process of members of the Council of State to reduce presidential appointment powers and ensure diverse, merit-based, non-partisan selection.

He said the Council of State’s selection process was seen as lacking transparency and was often viewed as partisan rather than neutral.

He noted that the participants were in favour of more authority to be given to the Council of State to move beyond solely an advisory role.

He noted also that many participants advocated the abolition of the Council of State, due to its purely advisory role and lack of impact on governance.