Op-ed: Is Article 290 of Ghana's constitution a shield for democracy or a barrier to reform?

“A constitution is not the act of a government, but of a people constituting a government.” Thomas Paine's words resonate deeply within Ghana's constitutional framework, particularly when one examines Article 290 of the 1992 Constitution. Few provisions better illustrate the tension between democratic protection and democratic progress. As Ghana once again turns its attention to constitutional reform following the recommendations of the Constitutional Review Committee, a crucial and unavoidable question arises: Is Article 290 a vital shield protecting democracy, or has it become a barrier to necessary reform? Article 290 regulates the amendment of entrenched provisions of the Constitution, those provisions regarded as foundational to Ghana's democratic order. The Article imposes strict requirements, advance publication of amendment bills, approval by at least two-thirds of all Members of Parliament, and endorsement by the electorate through a national referendum with high turnout and approval thresholds. These conditions were not designed by accident. They reflect a deliberate constitutional choice to insulate the core values of the Republic from impulsive political interference.
Read the full article here: Modern Ghana