 has proposed amendments to Article 78(1) of Ghana’s 1992 Constitution that would prohibit sitting Members of Parliament from being appointed as Ministers of State, Deputy Ministers, or Regional Ministers.){kind=link}
The Constitutional Review Committee (CRC) has proposed amendments to Article 78(1) of Ghana’s 1992 Constitution that would prohibit sitting Members of Parliament from being appointed as Ministers of State, Deputy Ministers, or Regional Ministers.
Under the proposal, Members of Parliament who resign during a parliamentary term would also be barred from holding ministerial or regional appointments for the remainder of that term.
Presenting the Committee’s final report to President John Dramani Mahama at Jubilee House on Monday, CRC Chairman Professor Henry Kwasi Prempeh said the recommendation is aimed at strengthening the separation of powers between the legislature and the executive.
“The Committee recommends an amendment to Article 78(1) to ensure that no Member of Parliament may be appointed a Minister of State, Deputy Minister, or Regional Minister,” Professor Prempeh said.
He explained that the restriction would extend to MPs who resign mid-term, stressing that such individuals would remain ineligible for ministerial appointments only for the duration of the parliamentary term for which they were elected.
The proposal forms part of a broader package of constitutional reforms submitted by the CRC. Other recommendations include the election of Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs), revisions to the presidential age limit, and changes to the length of the presidential term.
The report is expected to shape nationwide discussions on constitutional reform as the government considers measures to strengthen Ghana’s democratic governance.