The Citizens’ Platform on Constitutional Reforms (CPCR) has welcomed the government’s latest steps in the constitutional review process but is urging the immediate publication of the full report of the Constitutional Review Committee (CRC) to promote transparency and informed public participation.
In a press statement issued on Monday, July 20, the Platform described Cabinet’s announcement that the Attorney General and Minister for Justice will publish the government’s position paper on the CRC’s recommendations this week as an important milestone in efforts to strengthen Ghana’s 1992 Constitution.
The group, however, maintained that the government’s position paper should be accompanied by the release of the full CRC report to enable meaningful public discussion and constructive engagement.
“As Ghanaians prepare to receive government’s position on the CRC proposals, the Citizens’ Platform reiterates its call for the publication of the full report of the CRC to enable informed discussion and constructive engagement,” the statement said.
The Platform recalled concerns it raised in a June 12 statement over the limited time available to implement constitutional reforms before the country enters another political and electoral cycle.
It said it had previously called for the urgent publication of the CRC report, a clear roadmap outlining implementation timelines and milestones, the inauguration of the implementation committee, and a legislative and referendum calendar in line with Articles 289 to 291 of the Constitution.
According to the group, the impending publication of the government’s position paper should accelerate these outstanding processes.
The CPCR stressed that constitutional reform should remain a national undertaking rather than a partisan exercise, insisting that the government’s response to the committee’s recommendations must be openly communicated and subjected to broad public debate.
“The credibility and legitimacy of the constitutional reform process will depend not only on the contents of the position paper but also on the transparency, inclusiveness and accountability of the process itself,” the Platform noted.
It also called on citizens, political parties and other stakeholders to actively participate in the next phase of the review process by paying close attention to opportunities for public engagement, implementation timelines, the sequencing of reforms and mechanisms for building consensus on both entrenched and non-entrenched constitutional provisions.
The Platform said it looks forward to the prompt publication of both the government’s position paper and the full Constitutional Review Committee report, reaffirming its commitment to supporting an open, inclusive and citizen-centred constitutional reform process.
The Citizens’ Platform on Constitutional Reforms is a coalition of 80 civil society organisations and citizen groups facilitated by CDD-Ghana, STAR-Ghana Foundation and Democracy Hub to coordinate advocacy and public engagement on Ghana’s constitutional reform agenda.
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