It is about time Ghana reviewed her 1992 Constitution to whittle down the powers and influence of the Executive arm of government on the legislature, the Member of Parliament for North Tongu Constituency, Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has advocated.

The former Deputy Information Minister said “Parliament is getting weaker” as a result of the status quo, hence, “we should extricate Parliament from the shackles of the Executive domination so that Parliament can stand on its own and carry out its mandate”.

Mr Ablakwa, who was a guest on Class91.3FM’s Executive Breakfast Show on Wednesday, 4 December 2019, said: “Parliament has become too subservient to a dominant Executive and, so, people go to Parliament hoping that their parties will win and hoping that they will catch the eye of the President”.

Article 78 (1) of the 1992 Constitution requires the President to appoint the majority of his ministers from Parliament.

It states: “Ministers of State shall be appointed by the President with the prior approval of Parliament from among members of Parliament or persons qualified to be elected as members of Parliament, except that the majority of Ministers of State shall be appointed from among members of Parliament”.

However, Mr Ablakwa said that particular provision “ought to be amended”.

For him, the country must rather pursue reforms that ensure a strong, independent legislature that will play a supervisory role over the Executive.

He said stripping the Executive of its overbearing powers will not create a constitutional crisis as suggested by some critics but would rather deepen democracy.

Watch full interview below: