Kufuor calls for stronger separation of powers, greater parliamentary control over national budget

Former President John Agyekum Kufuor has called for a stricter separation of powers in Ghana’s governance system, arguing that the executive arm of government must be made more accountable to Parliament, particularly when it comes to spending public funds and implementing national policies.

Speaking in an interview on the AM Show, Mr Kufuor said the country’s constitutional future should ensure that the legislature functions fully as the representative of the people and exercises firm control over the national purse.

“The legislature should be the people’s representatives — there to control the budget, the purse of the state,” he said. “The executive should seek authorisation from the legislature to make the budget to run the government.”

According to the former president, Ghana’s current governance arrangement under the 1992 Constitution of Ghana does not sufficiently separate the powers of the executive and the legislature.

He expressed concern about the provision that allows the president to appoint ministers directly from the Parliament of Ghana, saying the practice blurs the line between the two arms of government and weakens Parliament’s ability to independently scrutinise the executive.

Mr Kufuor argued that in a well-functioning democracy, the executive should first develop policies and budgets and then submit them to the legislature for approval on behalf of citizens.

Instead, he suggested, Parliament should not simply endorse policies after they have already been decided by the executive.

The issue has been raised over the years by several public figures, including former President Jerry John Rawlings, as well as civil society organisations advocating governance reforms.

Mr Kufuor, who served two terms as president from 2001 to 2009 under the New Patriotic Party, said strengthening the independence of Parliament would help improve accountability and deepen Ghana’s democratic governance.

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