National Constitution Review Conference opens

Accra, March 1, GNA - Dr Raymond Akongboro Atuguba, Executive Secretary of Constitution Review Commission (CRC) on Tuesday said over 80,000 qualitative submissions received by the Commission would provide a comprehensive governance database for the country. He said the submissions had so far been synthesised into 12 broad thematic areas, 77 sub-themes and 548 issues.

Dr Atuguba announced this at the opening session of the five-day National Constitution Review Conference in Accra to discuss issues raised during consultations with the public.

It is on the theme: 93The Constitution: Our Identity". The Commission, which was set up by President John Evans Atta Mills, has the mandate to ascertain from Ghanaians their views on the operation of the Fourth Republican Constitution promulgated in 1992 and in particular, its strengths and weaknesses.

In addition, the conference would articulate concerns of the citizenry as regards the amendments required for a comprehensive review and make recommendations to the Government for consideration and provide a draft bil= l for possible amendments to the 1992 Constitution. The 12 thematic areas are; National Development Planning, Executive Powers, Legislative Powers, Judiciary and Legal Sector, Decentralisation an= d Local Government, Independent and Constitutional Bodies, and Public Service= .. The rest are; Traditional Institutions, Human Rights, Lands and Natura= l Resources, National Security, and Miscellaneous Issues such as (Transitiona= l Provisions and Territories of Ghana/International Relations). Dr Atuguba said 12 thematic groups would be constituted; a group for each theme and some thematic groups would be further constituted into sub-thematic groups to allow detailed and broad discussions of the issues. He announced that the 12 themes had been further divided into 40 sub-themes to afford more focused and efficient deliberations, involving about 25 to 50 persons in each sub-theme.

Dr Atuguba said the average African Constitu tion Review Budget in some countries was 100 million dollars but that of Ghana was 2.7 million dollars= .. The Executive Secretary said that notwithstanding; the Commission was very judicious in managing its resources and acknowledged the Ghana Government, Development Partners and the Financial Institutions for supporting the exercise. Dr Atuguba said Ghana's Constitution Review Exercise was possibly th= e largest qualitative assessment of popular inputs for an African Constitutio= n

He said video clips, audio tapes and pictures of the various forums held by the Commission to receive submissions would all be made available o= n the software to ensure easy reference to all Ghanaians. Dr Atuguba said the analysis to be undertaken by the Commission would take into consideration the strengths and weaknesses of the constitution, identify the constitutional changes necessary, look at legislative and administrative changes and customary practices.

Professor (Emeritus) Albert Kodzo Fiadjoe, Chairman, Constitutional Review Commission, said despite the 93seeming polarisation", there appea= red to be a convergence of views that the review exercise was warranted. He said the Commission operated on the cardinal principle that ownership of the review process belonged to Ghanaians.