Ghanaians have demonstrated strong appetite for constitutional review – Angelina Asurayaga
Her comments followed the presentation of the Constitution Review Committee report to President John Dramani Mahama on Monday, December 22.
A member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Communications Team for the Chiana-Paga Constituency, Angelina Asurayaga, has attributed the progress made by the Constitution Review Committee (CRC) to what she described as the growing demand by Ghanaians for a comprehensive review of the 1992 Constitution.
Her comments followed the presentation of the CRC’s report to President John Dramani Mahama on Monday, December 22.
Speaking on the Big Mike Breakfast Show on Wednesday, December 24, Asurayaga noted that previous attempts to review the Constitution may have failed due to the lack of sustained public interest and pressure at the time.
“We know that past presidents made efforts to initiate constitutional review processes that never saw the light of day. The reason those attempts did not succeed was simply because Ghanaians were not hungry enough for change. This time, the people have clearly shown their desire for a review, and I hope we will not fail again,” she said.
Asurayaga commended the Constitution Review Committee for what she described as a thorough and consultative process, expressing optimism that the recommendations contained in the report would significantly shape Ghana’s democratic and governance framework for the future.
However, she opposed the proposal to reduce the minimum presidential age requirement from 40 to 30 years, arguing that the responsibilities associated with the presidency are too weighty for such a change.
“Leadership at that level comes with enormous responsibility. Naturally, younger people may act with more impulse, and in a system where checks on presidential power are already weak, this could be risky for our democracy.” She argued.
Asurayaga expressed strong support for the proposal to introduce fixed tenures for the Chairperson and Deputy Chairpersons of the Electoral Commission. She said such a reform would insulate the Commission from politically motivated removals while enhancing accountability.
“A fixed tenure will protect the independence of the Electoral Commission and, at the same time, make its leadership accountable to the nation rather than to political interests.” She added.
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