Lawyer, Martin Kpebu has called for a thorough review of the 1992 Constitution.
He argued that, the Constitution in its current state is hindering the nation’s progress.
His remarks follow President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s recent government reshuffle and the subsequent resignation of Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu as Majority Leader in Parliament.
Mr. Kpebu contends that, Constitution is outdated with its provisions contributing to governance challenges and creating a power disparity among political parties.
To him, the Constitution excessively empowers political parties, leading to issues such as the sudden reshuffling of key leaders like Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu.
In an interview with TV3, the lawyer expressed his dismay at the current development.
“It is extremely embarrassing that as Majority Leader, you hear about your dismissal in the news. Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu hears about his dismissal in the news, and you think that’s acceptable? Is that how you reward someone for their dedicated service? What was the urgency? Why couldn’t the President or party leaders inform him beforehand?” he quizzed.
He said Article 300 of the Constitution, which grants political parties extensive powers to expel Members of Parliament they deem unfit make MPs subservient to party directives.
Mr. Kpebu stressed the need for a comprehensive overhaul of the Constitution to diminish the dominance of political parties over elected representatives.
“We need to reconsider our system of governance. Every governance issue seems to trace back to the constitution. We’re suffocating under this constitution. The power wielded by parties over MPs is excessive. We need a better system, one that moves away from the British model. When the dismissal occurred, I couldn’t help but question, can we solely blame the parties? It’s the laws that grant them such authority. We’ve given them too much power” he stated.
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