Mrs. Estelle Appiah, a member of the Constitutional Review Implementation Committee (CRIC), on Monday said the entrenched provisions of the constitution could only be amended through a referendum.

On the other hand, the non-entrenched provisions of the constitution could be amended through the normal Parliamentary procedure, she said. Mrs. Appiah was speaking at a Regional Stakeholders briefing by the CRIC at Takoradi. She said the CRIC had prepared amendment bills on the entrenched and non-entrenched provisions of the constitution based on the report of the Constitution Review Committee (CRC) and White Paper.

Mrs. Appiah said about 40 per cent of the persons entitled to vote should take part in the referendum and 75 per cent of the persons who vote must cast their votes in favour of the passage of the Entrenched Amendment Bill. She said the Bill would be passed by Parliament when it is approved at the referendum before it is signed by the President.

Mrs. Appiah said the entrenched provisions earmarked for amendment included those on the death penalty, making of subsidiary legislation, declaration of war, District Assembly Common Fund, prerogative of mercy and appointment of Ministers of State.

She said the President would no longer have to appoint 50 per cent of his ministers from Parliament and the prerogative of mercy would not be exercised for certain offences. She said the amendment would abolish the death penalty, change the composition of the National Security Council and add new human rights.

Proposed non-entrenched provisions are the Directive principle of state policy on national security and resources and the needs of the youth, creation of new constituencies, qualifications of the Electoral Commission, financial legislations and sessions of Parliament to enable Parliamentary and Presidential elections to be held earlier than December, Mrs. Appiah said.

Others are election of district chief executives, composition of Parliamentary Service Board, strengthening of the Media Commission and the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), establishment of Independent Emoluments Commission to replace the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission, retiring age of public officers, creation of Legal AID Commission and Independent Constitution Fund, she said.

Dr. Gheysika Agambila, a member of the CRIC, said the amendment of the provision on the appointment of ministers by the President is to make Parliament more independent. He said this is also to prevent Parliamentarians from pleasing the President in order to be appointed ministers.