The constitution gives too much power to the presidency; we’ll review it – Bawumia

The flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has promised to review the 1992 constitution if he is voted for to become president, in order to make it focus more on economic development than democratic stability.

He observed that the 1992 constitution was designed to stabilise the democracy of Ghana, an objective he said had been achieved with the stability of the democracy over the past 30 years.

He said the time has come for changes to be made to the document to focus more on economic development.

Addressing the Vola Regional House of Chiefs in Ho last week as part of his tour of the region, Dr Bawumia said “I also believe that we need constitutional changes. I think our constitution is a good one, it was done for political stability and we have had political stability over the past 30 years but I think now there may be the need for certain changes that we should do to see the constitution towards economic development.

“Prof Atta Mills, May God bless his soul, started the constitution review, we should take it up and do broad consultations. I think in this process it is also time to reduce the power of the presidency in our constitution. I think the era for that strong president is a past era. Now, as we move toward trying to get the constitution moving toward economic development, we should reduce the powers of the presidency and we will get a bit deeper democracy, in my view.”

He further urged the political parties to agree to sit around the table to draft a long-term national development plan.

“I also believe that the political parties should agree to adhere to some broad contours of a national development plan, the back and forth is too much in terms of policies.”

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