Ghana’s TUC says constitutional reform must command national consensus after calculating that government rejected 54 percent of the CRC’s recommendations, reports Jon Offei-Ansah
TUC Secretary-General Joshua Ansah addresses a press conference in Accra as the union calls for broader consensus on Ghana’s constitutional
Keypoints:
- TUC says government rejected 54 percent
- Union demands broader national consensus
- Partisan constitutional changes raise concern
GHANA’S Trades Union Congress has warned that the country’s constitutional reform process could become partisan after calculating that the government rejected 54 percent of recommendations made by the Constitution Review Committee (CRC) while selecting others to take forward.
The labour organisation says the dispute goes beyond individual amendments to the 1992 Constitution and raises a more fundamental question over how Ghana reaches national agreement on its basic governing rules. It wants opposition parties and wider social groups fully involved before major constitutional changes proceed.
TUC questions reform process
The TUC set out its position on September 9 after studying both the CRC’s final report and the government’s position paper.
The union has supported constitutional reform for several years. Its 2024 Workers’ Manifesto backed a review of the Constitution, and it welcomed the inauguration of the Constitution Review Committee in January 2025.
The TUC subsequently submitted a memorandum and appeared before the committee to explain its proposals. The committee delivered its final report to the government in December 2025, while the report and government response were published on July 30, 2026.
But the union says the next stage must not allow the government of the day to determine constitutional change largely through its own political philosophy, manifesto priorities and parliamentary strength.
The warning comes as Ghana’s wider constitutional debate gathers momentum. Africa Briefing has previously examined the CRC proposal for a five-year presidential term and the potential consequences of wider changes to the country’s governing framework.
‘Danger’ of partisan amendments
The TUC contrasted the present process with the drafting of the 1992 Constitution, which involved a Consultative Assembly containing representatives from a broad cross-section of Ghanaian society, including organised labour and other interest groups.
It acknowledged the CRC’s effort to gather views widely but said a committee-based exercise could not necessarily reproduce the level of inclusion provided by the Consultative Assembly.
The union’s strongest concern arises from the government’s response to the recommendations.
According to the TUC’s own calculation, the government rejected 54 percent of the committee’s proposals. It argues that a future referendum could therefore focus on issues selected by the government while excluding proposals preferred by other sections of society.
The TUC warned that such an approach could create a ‘legal doorway’ for future governments with sufficient parliamentary numbers to pursue constitutional amendments, particularly involving non-entrenched provisions, according to their own political priorities.
It said Ghana should not open the Constitution to partisan political manoeuvring.
The concern has acquired greater political relevance following changes in the balance of power in Parliament. Africa Briefing previously examined the implications of the NDC’s parliamentary super-majority and the limits of what overwhelming legislative numbers can achieve.
Opposition must be brought on board
The TUC is urging the government to make a special effort to involve all major constituencies, including the political opposition.
It acknowledges that achieving wider agreement could be expensive and cumbersome but argues that the difficulty is justified when the issue involves Ghana’s fundamental governing document.
The objective, according to the union, must be unity and consensus rather than a constitutional settlement identified primarily with one political administration.
That places the legitimacy of the reform process itself at the centre of the TUC’s intervention.
Five-year presidency tests accountability
One of the most consequential proposals would extend Ghana’s presidential term from four years to five.
The CRC recommended the change and, according to the TUC statement, the government accepted it.
The TUC does not reject the proposal outright. Instead, it warns that a longer term would also mean citizens living with the effects of misgovernance for an additional year before another presidential election.
It therefore argues that extending presidential tenure cannot be separated from reforms designed to strengthen governance and accountability.
The debate is unfolding alongside other arguments about presidential tenure. Africa Briefing has also reported on how Ghana’s presidential term-limit debate has widened, although that controversy is separate from the CRC proposal to make each presidential term five years.
The TUC also supports limiting presidential appointment powers and ending the practice under which sitting MPs can simultaneously serve as ministers.
Resources emerge as another fault line
The disagreement extends beyond the architecture of political institutions.
The TUC expressed concern that, according to the government position it reviewed, all the CRC’s general recommendations for improving the management of Ghana’s lands and natural resources were rejected.
The union said it found that position difficult to understand given Ghana’s longstanding challenges surrounding land and natural-resource governance.
It supports proposals to vest lands in the people of Ghana rather than the President, reform the Lands Commission and require prior parliamentary approval before natural-resource agreements or concessions are granted or signed.
The issue intersects with a broader national debate over mineral governance. Africa Briefing has reported on calls for Ghana to rethink mining leases and strengthen national control over mineral wealth.
For the TUC, the individual disagreements reinforce a larger principle: constitutional reform must command legitimacy beyond whichever party controls the presidency and Parliament.
The union says the 1992 Constitution has largely served Ghana well, but argues that the present political appetite for reform should be used to strengthen governance, protect rights and translate political stability into economic and social transformation.