IDEG Calls for Independent Commission to Democratize Ghana's Constitution and Combat Elite Power
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The Institute of Democratic Governance (IDEG) has proposed the formation of a Multiparty Democracy and Constitutional Reform Commission (MDCRC) to break the stranglehold of entrenched elites and ensure constitutional reforms serve the people, not just political parties.
The Institute of Democratic Governance (IDEG) has boldly advocated for the creation of a Multiparty Democracy and Constitutional Reform Commission (MDCRC) to oversee and implement constitutional reforms in Ghana. This independent body is intended to monitor and regulate political parties, holding them accountable to democratic principles and preventing the political elite from manipulating the system for their own benefit.
Mr. Kwasi Jonah, Senior Research Fellow at IDEG, stressed that the MDCRC is necessary to address the chronic failure to implement constitutional review recommendations—failures that have perpetuated inequality and protected the interests of the powerful few. Speaking at a policy dialogue in Accra, he highlighted that despite repeated reform attempts since 2010, none have succeeded, largely due to the self-serving deadlock between major political parties, which has led to stagnation and wasted public resources.
"From experience, constitutions are reviewed every nineteen or twenty years, so if you have a body like this in existence, they would collect the ideas for reforming the constitution and make sure they are implemented... It does not matter which party will be in power, because it is a technical commission; the reform effort can be carried through," Mr. Jonah stated, emphasizing the need to remove party interests from the reform process.
Professor Kofi Quashigah, former Dean of the University of Ghana Law School, supported embedding a continuous, people-driven constitutional review process within the constitution itself. He argued that such a body could gather reform proposals from the grassroots and present them for approval through referendums during national elections, ensuring reforms are comprehensive and reflect the will of the people, not piecemeal changes dictated by the elite.
Ms. Becky Enyonam Ahadzi, Coordinator of the Affirmative Action Law Coalition, highlighted the systemic exclusion of women from governance, a direct result of patriarchal structures and entrenched discrimination. She pointed out that reforms have mostly focused on appointed positions, while elected roles—where real power lies—remain inaccessible to most women due to ongoing structural barriers and societal bias.
