Lawyer and former Chairperson of the Electoral Commission of Ghana, Charlotte Osei, has emphasised the need for caution and balance in the ongoing constitutional reform process.
She stressed that the goal is to address existing challenges without creating new problems.
Her remarks follow the submission of the Constitution Review Committee’s (CRC) final report to President John Dramani Mahama on Monday, December 22.
The report includes major recommendations such as separating the legislature from the executive, reaffirming that there is no provision for a third presidential term, and proposing the extension of the presidential term from four to five years.
Speaking on Joy News on Saturday, December 27, she underscored that the process was guided by the principle of fairness for all public officeholders, including members of parliament, judiciary officials, and the executive.
“It is not just a matter of picking one aspect and saying ‘scrap it.’ When you remove an existing arrangement, what replaces it? We were very mindful not to create problems while trying to solve existing problems. If we do not have the expertise to set emoluments ourselves, it is logical to leave that to the experts,” Madam Charlotte Osei stated.
Madam Charlotte Osei, who served as a member of the CRC, explained the committee’s thorough and methodical approach.
“We have a document of about a hundred pages in which we examined, clause by clause, all the recommendations previously made. We recorded our own assessments in a separate column and began with the history, while also engaging the public to obtain feedback and decide whether to follow the existing recommendations or chart a new path,” she said.
Madam Charlotte Osei highlighted the committee’s careful handling of Article 71, which deals with the remuneration of public officeholders.
“This issue has appeared in every previous report. We decided to adopt a holistic approach through a one-stop Public Emoluments Commission, such as the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission. This allows us to address ex gratia payments and other concerns fairly and comprehensively, rather than simply abolishing arrangements without providing a practical alternative,” She explained.
The former Electoral Commission Chair also drew lessons from previous local government reforms, noting that commissions reviewing the constitution often face challenges in implementing solutions that endure over time.