By Franklin ASARE-DONKOH
Professor Stephen Kweku Asare, a D&D Fellow in Public Law and Justice at CDD-Ghana is advocating seven key constitutional and structural reforms that need to be undertaken by the Members of Parliament (MPs) elect who are to be sworn in on Tuesday, January 7, 202,5 to form the 9th Parliament
According to Prof. Asare, the 7 key priority areas should include local government reform, legal education overhaul, judicial reform, a comprehensive code of conduct for public officials, financial management reform, campaign finance regulation, and anti-corruption measures.
In a post on his Facebook page, the D&D Fellow in Public Law and Justice at CDD-Ghana argued that the way and manner voters cast their ballot in the 2024 elections in favour of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) in both the presidential and parliamentary sends a strong message that the 9th Parliament, which will come into force on January 7, 2025, to implement meaningful structural reforms.
“Four years ago, voters opted for a split parliament; today, they have decisively shifted to a supermajority. This dramatic swing signals deep frustration with the current governance system and serves as both a mandate and a call to action for the 9th Parliament to implement meaningful structural reforms.
Key priorities should include local government reform, legal education overhaul, judicial reform, a comprehensive code of conduct for public officials, financial management reform, campaign finance regulation, and anti-corruption measures.
Meanwhile, [we] urge the 8th Parliament to conclude its work with urgency bypassing the Constitution Amendment Bill, 2021 and forwarding it to the President for assent without delay,” portions of his post read.
