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• Kofi Owusu-Ansah 12 years ago

  I wonder why all the so called experts in our country are not making any serious contribution towards building an inclusive and participatory democracy by coming up with expert views on matters bordering on national interests ...
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  I wonder why all the so called experts in our country are not making any serious contribution towards building an inclusive and participatory democracy by coming up with expert views on matters bordering on national interests.
  I want to know among other things all those in Ghana who went to Parliament to draft the 1992 constitution.
  1. What was the terms of reference?
  2. Who set up the terms of reference, if any who set them? Was it the then government in power the PNDC setting the agenda and terms of reference.
  3.I remember that when Atta Mills came to power he set up a constitutional review commission to review the constitution but even then, a section of the constitution was not to be touched: (a) What happened to the work of the review commission? (b)Who makes sure that the said amendments were carried out?
  (4) Since 1992 that the constitution was promulgated by JJ Rawlings the then head of state, how many amendments have been made.
  All the drafters of the constitution, I stand to be corrected,were Politicians and as such made the constitution that gave power to them alone. All powers in the constitution is given to the Executive and what do they do with it? Abuse and corruption.
  (5) What checks and balances are there in the Constitution?
  That is why in my view we need extra parliamentary institutions, these are institutions outside parliament and government,independent at that to hold the politicians accountable.The Souith African constitution has these built in institutions the safeguard the Police and the Civil Service to be outside government inteference and control.
  We need a constitution that does not make the presidents and his cabinet as the only important persons in Ghana, a constitution that adresses the needs of: Village man in Jentu,the nursing mother who cannot afford nursing upkeep,the unfortunate young girl brought from the village to serve the rich in their homes and service the man at night in bed,the useless men who impregenate young innocent girls and refuse responsibility,young men and women who have no future because they do not know anybody who knows somebody to give them jobs,where there is tranparency in our ordinary way of doing things. That you have every right like anybody else to excercise your talents. A constitution that guarantees that laws will be made to protect the rights of the poor and rich alike.
  As I see it, all the constition drafters in 1992 all came from a priveleged background and all the provisions protected their interests. We need to radically change the 1992 Constitution and until imputs like a standard seven laever like me are included it cannot represent everybody.

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