Bawumia sets up NPP committee to review Mahama government’s constitutional reform plans

The New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) flagbearer, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has constituted a committee to review the government’s position on Ghana’s constitutional reform process, according to Manhyia South MP Nana Agyei Baffour Awuah.

Mr Awuah said the committee had nearly completed its work and was expected to submit its report to Dr Bawumia in the coming weeks.

He disclosed this during an interview on JoyNews’ Newsfile programme on Saturday, August 29.

“I would want to put it on record that following the government's announcement of its position on this matter (constitutional review), the flagbearer of our party, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, the former vice president of the Republic of Ghana, also put together a party committee to review the government's position paper,” he said.

“In the coming week, we will be presenting our report, which is almost complete, to him,” he added.

NPP review

According to Mr Awuah, the committee includes individuals with expertise in constitutional and legal matters, including legal practitioners who served under previous NPP administrations.

He said the members were undertaking a detailed assessment of the government's position and were expected to make recommendations that would contribute to Ghana's constitutional review and implementation process.

The disclosure comes after President John Mahama appointed an 11-member committee to oversee the implementation of recommendations arising from the constitutional review process.

The NPP committee's work therefore represents the party's assessment of the government's position, rather than an announcement of the party's final position on the reforms.

Mr Awuah did not disclose the specific proposals contained in the government's position paper or indicate which aspects the NPP committee might seek to amend.

He also did not give a specific date for the presentation of the committee's report, saying only that it was expected in the coming weeks.

The eventual report could provide an indication of how the NPP intends to approach the constitutional reform process under the current administration.

The process is politically significant because constitutional reforms can affect the country's governance arrangements, institutions and the distribution or exercise of political power.

For now, however, the NPP's formal recommendations remain pending until

the committee completes its report and it is presented to Dr Bawumia.