The Dean of the Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Prof. Vladimir Antwi-Danso has deviated from calls for an amendment of portions of the 1992 constitution. He is calling for an outright rewriting of the entire constitution.
Prof. Antwi-Danso holds the view that a new constitution written by a committee so established will repair any defects that currently plague the country’s democratic dispensation. But in a sharp rebuttal, a Council of State Member, Sam Awuku Okudzeto said, “It will be better to correct the defects in a leaking roof than collapse an entire building to rebuild.”
According to him, the call for the current constitution to be disposed of will not court public support but rather an amendment of portions considered inefficient will be acceptable by the masses. Former Speaker of Parliament, Rt Prof. Aaron Mike Oquaye, in his reaction, indicated the current constitution has very vital aspects that have upheld the country’s republican democracy over 30 years.
Reacting to contrary views expressed over his call, Prof. Antwi-Danso) said “In our current situation, I was happy to see the hung parliament, but it has not served its purpose because everything has been reduced to partisanship”.
He argued that the “patchworks” being advocated may lead to future chaos. “I believe that if we have something new (new constitution), politicians will jump to it to serve a better purpose,” he stressed. On proportional representation, he believes it will be the best for a true representation of the people in parliament, but fears implementing it may be fraught with challenges.
Speaking at a seminar organised by the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), the Deputy Commissioner of the Electoral Commission, Dr Bossman Asare held a strong view on the subject. He argued that proportional representation will give a true representation.
He noted that the practice of majoritarian representation has not served the people well as it turns out to leave some sensitive groups out. The event was on the theme: A seminar on reviewing Ghana’s 1992 Constitution: towards constitutionalism – reflections and refractions.
Source: Fred Duhoe
