General News of Thursday, 8 February 2024

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

Bawumia walking in Mills' footsteps on constitutional review plans - Anyidoho boasts

Late John Evans Atta Mills and Koku Anyidoho Late John Evans Atta Mills and Koku Anyidoho

Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia's plan to undertake a review of the 1992 Constitution has received plaudits from former presidential spokesman, Koku Anyidoho.

According to him, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer's announcement is particularly noteworthy because it will build on what was started by late president John Evans Atta Mills through the Constitutional Review Commission (CRC).

"Didn’t I say I am worried that NDC is allowing the ruling party to set the agenda? Now, Dr. Bawumia says he will review the 1992 constitution to, inter alia, curtail the powers of the President:

"That’s exactly what Prez Mills did with the CRC & I am for it 100%. Ghana first," Anyidoho noted in a tweet during the February 7, 2024, public lecture by the Vice President.

"The Atta-Mills Institute has been very consistent in fighting for the CRC White Paper to see the light of day so if a Presidential Candidate is saying he will review the 1992, constitution, it is in tandem with our clarion call so it wld be hypocritical not to support it," Anyidoho, who is CEO of the Atta-Mills Institute added.

The call for a reduction of the powers of a president has been made severally against the backdrop that the president was constitutionally too powerful in terms of influence by way of appointments and other stated constitutional roles.

Bawumia spoke at a February 7, 2024 lecture at the University of professional Studies, Accra (UPSA) outlining his vision for Ghana if he is elected president in 2024.

What Bawumia said about Constitutional Review

The current constitution was designed mainly for political stability and it has achieved that. We need to amend it with the help of Parliament to align it more for national development.

In that context, I am committed to the process to amend the 1992 Constitution through extensive public consultation, with key emphasis on issues such as ex-gratia, the rights of dual citizens, election of MMDCEs to deepen
decentralization, and empowering institutions while reducing
the power of the President.

SARA

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