Professor H Kwasi Prempeh has revealed that public consultations by the Constitutional Review Committee (CRC) uncovered growing frustration among citizens who feel Ghana’s democratic system no longer offers meaningful alternatives despite regular elections.
The CRC chairman, speaking December 27 on TV3’s Hot Issues programme, said nationwide engagements showed people remain appreciative of democratic freedoms, particularly their ability to speak openly and vote governments in or out of office. However, he noted that beneath this appreciation lay a deeper sense of weariness about whether electoral change produces substantive transformation.
“They like the democracy that they are seeing in terms of an ability to speak your mind, to vote for the government you like, to vote against a party you don’t like. I think they were getting a bit tired. We change these parties, and then what?” Prof Prempeh asked.
The Committee’s report 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 socioeconomic outcomes. The assessment suggests that while the 1992 Constitution has delivered political stability, peaceful power transfers and civil liberties, it has not sufficiently translated democratic competition into developmental results.
According to Prof Prempeh, several participants in public consultations expressed that democracy had become limiting rather than empowering. “For most people, you could get the sense that the democracy was becoming choiceless for them,” he observed.
Despite the frustration articulated during consultations, the law professor described the openness of the discussions as encouraging and said the honesty of feedback would influence how the CRC approaches reform proposals. “The openness with which people spoke their ideas was quite refreshing to see,” he stated.
The CRC conducted nationwide consultations systematically, allowing individuals, civil society groups, professional bodies, political actors and traditional authorities to contribute meaningfully to the review. Prof Prempeh said the committee visited all ten regions and held engagements with academics, trade unions and citizens across the country.
The eight member Constitutional Review Committee submitted its final report titled “Transforming Ghana: From Electoral Democracy to Developmental Democracy” to President John Dramani Mahama on December 22. The comprehensive document proposes constitutional amendments aimed at strengthening governance, promoting citizen participation and addressing key national challenges.
Major recommendations include extending the presidential term from four to five years to allow sufficient time for policy implementation, separating the executive from the legislature to reduce conflicts of interest, and binding Parliament to Ghana’s National Development Plan in lawmaking and budgeting.
President Mahama acknowledged that some proposals were far reaching but necessary to strengthen Ghana’s democratic order, particularly as constitutional governance in parts of the region faces strain. He directed that the report be published soon, stating he did not want it kept like a nuclear secret.
Prof Prempeh chairs the CRC established in January 2025 to identify gaps in previous constitutional reforms and recommend amendments to improve governance. He serves as executive director of the Ghana Center for Democratic Development and is a professor at Seton Hall University School of Law in the United States.
