Success of constitution review will depend on media - Commission

Accra, Feb. 15, GNA - Prof Albert K. Fiadjoe, the Chairman of the Constitutional Review Commission, has called for media support to make the review process successful.

"The media are key to the success or failure of the review exercise, surely and without a doubt, the ultimate success of the commission's public consultation processes will rest on the credible, sincere and fair reporting of the media," he said.

Prof. Fiadjoe made the call at the commission's maiden encounter with the media in Accra.

He appealed to the media to allocate special airtime and space in their publications to reportage on the review process. The nine-member commission was established by President John Atta Mills to ascertain public view on the strengths and weaknesses of the 1992 Constitution, articulate concerns of the people of Ghana on amendments that may be required and make recommendations to government for consideration. They are also to provide a draft bill for possible amendment to the constitution.

Prof. Fiadjoe said the commission had a target to complete the process a year ahead of Election 2012 and was confident that with the help of the media in collating public views they would achieve their target. He said so far the commission had identified 39 main issues for consideration during the review process, about 25 private submissions had been received and processed but some of the issues were outside the identified areas.

"Submissions have been received from within and outside the country," he said.

Prof. Fiadjoe noted that currently, the commission had only one permanent staff, the Executive Secretary, and volunteers who help in receiving submissions from the public. He said the process was estimated to cost 2.7 million dollars but as at now the commission was constrained and had been raising funds from three main sources - government, development partners and the private sector to undertake its work.

"The funds have not arrived yet but we have begun the process to get it so we can have extra permanent staff at the secretariat to work more effectively," he said.

Prof. Fiadjoe said in the meantime the commission's team of research volunteers had been receiving written and verbal submissions as well as by email through atuguba@yahoo.com. "We are also setting up a website to make submission easier for the public," he added.

Chairman of the Commission urged organized groups like religious bodies, political parties and civil society organizations to collate the views of their members and submit them in bulk. He said the commission would also be using the metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies and the traditional councils as avenues for submissions and consultation.

Prof. Fiadjoe said there were plans to hold consultations with specialized groups including gender, youth, political, industry, professional bodies and associations across country. He noted that the possible outcome of the review process could be an amendment to or a repeal of portions of the constitution, retaining of the constitution as it is, retaining the constitutions with the institution of some corrective administrative actions only or retaining and further developing portions of the constitution.

Prof. Fiadjoe however, noted that an amendment of the constitution could only be undertaken by a two-thirds majority in Parliament and not by the commission. He said with regard to the entrenched provisions of the constitution, it would take a referendum of the people of Ghana to touch them. Prof. Fiadjoe assured the public that the commission was an independent body and did not represent any particular interest group therefore; their operations would be open, impartial and transparent to afford all Ghanaians at home and abroad the opportunity to contribute. 16 Feb. 10