A coalition of more than 100 civil society organisations, labour unions and professional bodies has demanded that Ghana’s constitutional reform process be backed by a dedicated law and firm timelines to prevent it from stalling. The Citizens’ Platform on Constitutional Reform (CPCR) said Parliament should pass a Constitutional Reform Implementation and Roadmap Act that would lay out a clear sequence of reforms, assign responsibility to specific institutions and set deadlines from public consultations to any referendum. The platform, convened by CDD‑Ghana, Democracy Hub and the STAR‑Ghana Foundation, made the call at a press conference in Accra on 15 September 2026, marking the International Day of Democracy.
The CPCR highlighted four key guarantees it wants the government to adopt. First, a law that clearly defines the order of amendments and the institutions responsible for each stage. Second, clarification of the mandate of the Constitution Review Implementation Committee, insisting that it should go beyond converting the government’s position paper into draft legislation and that bills already progressing in Parliament should be paused until the committee’s consultations are complete. Third, a fair and manageable referendum process that limits bundled amendments to no more than 20 per yes‑or‑no question and drafts questions in clear, simple language. Fourth, ring‑fenced funding for civic education led by the National Commission for Civic Education, with adequate resources released well before any referendum to meet the required 40% voter turnout and 75% approval thresholds.
While the coalition agrees with 16 areas of the government’s proposals—such as establishing an independent Political Parties Regulatory Commission, moving presidential elections to the first week of November and supporting proportional representation in Parliament—it also objects to several key points. It rejects extending the presidential and parliamentary terms to five years, calls for greater transparency in presidential appointments, opposes MPs holding ministerial positions, and wants a study on how to introduce proportional representation without expanding Parliament beyond 276 seats. The CPCR also insists that the proposed Devolution Commission be an independent constitutional body and that local chief executive elections be conducted under clear, independent oversight.
“The Constitution ultimately belongs to the people,” the platform said. “If the Constitution belongs to the people, then the people must be fully involved in every significant step taken to review or change it.” The coalition’s position paper, released at the press conference, is aimed at ensuring the reform process is robust, transparent and continues regardless of any change in government.
