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Framers of 1992 constitution underestimated the corroding power of partisan politics – Prof. Abotsi
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Dean of the School of Law at the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA), Professor Kofi Abotsi, says the biggest problem facing Ghana’s constitutionalism is the corroding and corrupting power of partisan politics.
According to him, it appears the framers of the 1992 constitution had underestimated the power of partisan politics to exploit, abuse, and corrupt the constitution to serve their parochial interests.
“I think if you look at, for example, the provision on political parties starting from Article 55 onwards, you get a sense that there was a certain general assumption that political parties and political parties forming governments will naturally act in the best interest of Ghanaians,” he said on JoyFM’s Super Morning Show.
Prof. Abotsi said the framers had seemingly ignored the history of political parties in Ghana, and underestimated how their nature could adversely impact governance and governance structures in the country.
“I think what the framers of the constitution perhaps underestimated is the nature of our political party history. There is a certain serious historical problem of our political parties in Ghana which started all the way from UGCC. And you’d be surprised that those historical dynamics are with us today,” he said.
“They continue to reflect in the relationships of the parties as what we have is the tendency for these parties to dig in and create sectionalism in which members of certain political parties when they’re in power it is their time and when they’re out of power whoever comes it is their time.
“And there’s the tendency of us against them and there’s the tendency of a cycle in which there’s a benefit – this cycle is over the new cycle begins, and these new cycle members of that party enjoy,” he added.
He concluded that while there have been recent agitations for constitutional reforms, those reforms will eventually be faced with the same problems the current constitution is faced with.
According to him, no constitution is perfect as they can be circumvented by human ingenuity.
“So if you ask me the problem fundamentally it’s not the constitution, the constitution reform can only do so much. Look, no matter how much you engineer constitutions, lawyers spend their time dissecting and understanding the weakness of the new design and you would invariably find the weaknesses of the new design,” he said.
Source: Myjoyonline.com
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has directed all aspirants campaigning in the Greater Accra Region to suspend their campaign activities on August 5 and 6 and instead mobilise supporters for the party’s planned “Democracy Under Attack” demonstration.
The directive was issued by the party’s National Steering Committee in a statement signed by the NPP General Secretary, Justin Kodua Frimpong, on Tuesday.
According to the statement, the decision forms part of efforts to ensure a strong turnout for the demonstration, which is scheduled for Thursday, August 6, 2026.
The party said the protest would begin at 5:00 a.m., with participants expected to gather at the Supreme Court in Accra.
It further directed Regional, Constituency and Polling Station Executives in Greater Accra to work closely to mobilise members and supporters for the event.
“The National Steering Committee is calling on all aspirants currently campaigning across the Greater Accra Region to temporarily suspend their campaign activities on the 5th and 6th of August and join in mobilising support for the upcoming demonstration,” the statement noted.
The NPP appealed to party members and supporters to remain peaceful, disciplined and orderly throughout the protest.
The demonstration forms part of the party’s response to concerns it has raised over issues relating to Ghana’s democratic governance and the justice system.
The NPP leadership expressed confidence that party members would cooperate fully to ensure a successful and peaceful event.
By: Jacob Aggrey
Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Dr. Dominic Ayine, has announced that the government has accepted the recommendation to abolish the death penalty and replace it with life imprisonment as part of the constitutional review process.
He said the proposed amendment would affect Articles 3, 13, 19 and 72 of the 1992 Constitution, with offences that previously attracted the death penalty instead carrying life imprisonment.
Dr. Ayine made the announcement on July 30, 2026, at the Jubilee House in Accra during the Government Accountability Series while outlining the government’s position on the final recommendations of the Constitution Review Committee.
According to him, the government believes the death penalty is inconsistent with the constitutional right to life and Ghana’s international human rights obligations.
He explained that the recommendation forms part of broader proposals aimed at strengthening the protection of fundamental human rights under the Constitution.
Dr. Ayine said the government had also accepted the spirit of several recommendations to expand rights relating to women, children, persons with disabilities, older persons and the youth.
He added that a comprehensive Human Rights Act would be introduced to protect these rights and provide detailed enforcement mechanisms instead of amending the entrenched provisions of the Constitution through a national referendum.
By: Jacob Aggrey
