Dr. Kenneth S. Aikins, a retired Research Fellow of the University of Cape Coast, has called for a constitutional amendment that would require Members of Parliament (MPs) to contest elections with running mates.
According to him, this would ensure proper legislative oversight over the Executive when MPs are appointed as ministers, thereby strengthening democratic governance.

He explained that the current constitutional provision allows the President to appoint up to two-thirds of his ministers from Parliament, creating a conflict of loyalty. This dual role, he said, compromises MPs’ ability to hold the Executive accountable, as they become part of the same arm of government they are supposed to scrutinize.
Dr. Aikins made the call during a zonal stakeholders’ engagement organized to solicit public views for the proposed Constitution Review Commission and the 2023 Constitution Review Consultative Amendment of the 1992 Constitution.
The engagement aimed to produce actionable recommendations to strengthen Ghana’s democratic governance and address challenges identified during the previous 2010 constitutional review process.
He argued that MPs who become ministers blur the lines between the Executive and Legislature, weakening the checks and balances and undermining the doctrine of separation of powers.

To address this, Dr. Aikins proposed that MPs have running mates who would step in as constituency representatives whenever sitting MPs take up ministerial positions. He also noted that such a system would reduce the cost and disruption caused by by-elections in the event of an MP’s death, potentially avoiding the chaos and violence that sometimes accompany those polls.
Other stakeholders at the engagement called for the passage of a Legislative Instrument (LI) to allow the election of Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs), as well as an amendment to the process for electing Presiding Members in District Assemblies.
They proposed replacing the current two-thirds majority requirement under Article 244(2) of the 1992 Constitution with a simple majority vote. The existing threshold, they noted, often stalls local governance because many Assemblies fail to meet it, thereby delaying development initiatives.

Reacting to the inputs, Professor Henry Kwasi Prempeh, Chairman of the Constitution Review Committee, assured participants that their views would inform the Committee’s recommendations toward a more responsive and accountable constitution.
However, he pointed out that not all issues require constitutional amendments, urging citizens to engage their MPs more actively and push for legislative reforms where appropriate.
“We cannot always wait for a constitutional review to solve everything. Let us hold our MPs and political leaders accountable for needed changes,” he emphasized.
Participants at the forum included representatives from state and non-state institutions, civil society organisations, traditional leaders, the media, and various interest groups.