The four-year tenure given to every President in Ghana was copied blindly by the framers of the 1992 Constitution, a Former United Nations Senior Advisor, Professor Baffour Agyeman-Duah, has said.
He said whereas countries like Liberia are doing 6 years for their president, Ghana has limited its to only four years.
“We simply copied the 4 years tenure blindly. Even in Liberia, they have their elections every 6 years. A consensus should be reached to solve this challenge,” he said on the First Take on 3FM Friday April 29 whiule calling for a review of the 1992 Constitution.
In his view, the current 1992 Constitution of Ghana does not meet the needs of Ghanaians. He believes that the constitution concentrates democracy at the top and not at the grassroot level.
His comments come after President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has said if required, the constitution should be amended to meet the needs of contemporary and future times.
Mr Akufo-Addo made this comment in his address on the 30th anniversary of the 1992 Constitution on Thursday April 28.
“The Constitution is a living document and so whenever circumstances require, we should be prepared to make the necessary amendments to affect the needs of contemporary and future times,” he said.
Mr Akufo-Addo further said that there are persons who seek to cut short the democracy of Ghana by pronouncing coups.
He said such persons either do not respect the Ghanaian people or fear that they will be rejected in an election hence calling for overthrow of an elected government.
Mr Akufo-Addo urged all Ghanians to reject such persons.
“Several attempts to take Ghana down the path of multiparty democracy was met with stiff opposition and cynical response.
“They will rather have authoritarian rule foisted on the citizens claiming Ghana was underdeveloped and we needed to get things done in a hurry.
“They claimed that democracy was cumbersome and will divide Ghanaians along along tribal lines . However, the word was widespread and unanimous to have a decade-long ban on party political activities imposed in 1981 lifted and the return to multiparty democracy established. The Ghanaian people wanted a living condition of freedom where there was respect for individual liberty,” he said.
He added “Simply because they have no respect for the Ghanaian people , they are either unwilling to subject themselves to the open scrutiny of the Ghanaian people or because they know that that they will be rejected by the Ghanaian people.
“Thus seeking a short cut to office in power. Let us resist such persons for our common good.”
Sharing his thoughts on the President’s submissions, Professor Agyemang-Duah said on the News 360 on TV3 Thursday April 28 that ” in my humble onion [the Constitution] does not meet the needs of the people.
“For a constitution to meet the basic needs of the people that constitution should be seen in action at the grassroots level. Democracy is best when it emerges from the bottom to the top . what we have today, is a democracy that is literally a top down democrayc.”
By Laud Nartey|3news.com|Ghana