By Benjamin Nii Nai Anyetei
The Constitution Review Committee has presented a comprehensive report proposing wide-ranging reforms to reposition Ghana’s democracy to deliver concrete development outcomes for citizens.
Titled “Transforming Ghana: From Electoral Democracy to Developmental Democracy,” the Report argues that while Ghana has achieved stable democratic peace and regular political turnover, these gains have not translated into the level of economic transformation and improved living standards expected by the people.
The Committee warns that Ghana risks becoming a “choiceless democracy” a system where citizens periodically vote in peaceful elections but experience little change in governance quality or socio-economic outcomes.
To address this challenge, the Report proposes constitutional reforms aimed at strengthening institutions, improving accountability, and making governance more people-centred and problem-solving.
The recommendations are organised into nine substantive chapters, covering critical areas such as refocusing the Presidency on strategic national development, making Parliament more responsive and policy-driven, improving management of national resources and public finances, restoring trust in accountability institutions, and building a professional and performance-oriented public service.
Other chapters focus on promoting equity and inclusion, devolving power and resources to local communities, safeguarding democratic freedoms and stability, and ensuring the Constitution remains a living document capable of evolving with Ghana’s changing needs.
According to the Committee, the ultimate goal of the reforms is to preserve Ghana’s democratic gains while recalibrating the constitutional framework to better support sustainable development and improved quality of life for all citizens.
