Attorney-General Dominic Ayine Inaugurates Constitution Review Implementation Committee to Reform 1992 Charter and Regulate Political Financing

Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Dr. Dominic Akuritinga Ayine, has officially inaugurated an 11-member Constitution Review Implementation Committee (CRIC) tasked with transforming long-standing reform recommendations into actionable legislation. Chaired by Marietta Brew, the committee is mandated to evaluate the government's position paper alongside the findings of the Professor H. Kwesi Prempeh Constitution Review Committee, which was established by President John Mahama. The CRIC’s primary objective is to develop a framework for implementing accepted proposals concerning presidential terms, parliamentary size, and citizens' rights, with a deadline to prepare the first batch of bills for non-entrenched provisions by November 2026. This process could lead to a national referendum during the 2027 district assembly elections.

The committee’s composition has drawn significant attention following the appointment of lawyer and activist Oliver Barker-Vormawor as its Secretary. Barker-Vormawor, a co-founder of the #FixTheCountry movement and a prominent figure in the Democracy Hub, has affirmed that his role within the government-led technocratic process will not diminish his 17-year advocacy for a "New Constitution for a New Generation." While acknowledging the difficulties of achieving political consensus, Barker-Vormawor and Chairperson Marietta Brew emphasized that the committee's work is focused on translating public aspirations into legal measures rather than re-evaluating the 1992 Constitution from scratch. The committee is expected to maintain comprehensive records and create a structured roadmap to ensure the process remains inclusive and transparent.

Parallel to these constitutional efforts, the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), with support from the British High Commission, has introduced a Draft Model Political Finance Bill to address the corrosive effects of money in politics. With evidence suggesting that campaign spending for contested elections now exceeds $100 million, the bill proposes strict expenditure limits, donation regulations, and enhanced disclosure requirements to align Ghana with international anti-corruption standards. CDD-Ghana’s Director, Frederick Adu-Gyamfi, warned that the current monetization of the electoral process threatens the integrity of the nation's democracy and creates barriers for less-resourced but capable candidates.

Complementing these national reforms is a growing debate over the nature of local governance. Expert Douglas Quartey recently urged a re-evaluation of non-partisan district assembly elections, arguing that research shows a strong public preference for partisan local governance to improve accountability. These converging initiatives—the CRIC’s constitutional work, CDD-Ghana’s finance regulations, and the push for local government reform—represent a comprehensive effort by the Mahama administration and civil society to modernize Ghana's democratic framework and restore public trust in political institutions.