The Greater Accra Region on Tuesday submitted about 54 memoranda to the Constitution Review Commission (CRC) to be captured into recommendations of a draft Bill for possible amendments to the 1992 Constitution.
The submissions presented by various interest groups in the Region focuses on proposal for creating a Governance Fund for Independent Constitutional Bodies to guarantee their financial independence.
Suggestions put across included ethnic rotation of the presidency; removal of legal limitation on introduction of Private Members Bill in Parliament; prohibition of Members of Parliament from holding Ministerial office; and abolishing of MP's Common Fund.
The Nine-Member CRC Commissioners led by Professor Emeritus Albert K. Fiadjoe, and its Lead Councillor, Dr Raymond Atuguba, cross-examined all the 54 witnesses who appeared to either justify their submission or clarify the issues raised.
The Commission declined two submissions for lack of jurisdiction, and therefore advise the proponents on the appropriate channel for redress.
The repeal of the Indemnity Clause; reduction in the powers of the Executive; and a mandatory clause for the President to become an ex-officio Member of Parliament in accordance with the Westminster system, were also suggested.
Others were to enable Ministers of States who are not MPs to participate in parliamentary debate and vote on serious Bills; prohibition of homosexual rights; expansion of Chapter five of the Constitution on Human Rights to include Right to Food; and transforming the National Development Planning Commission into an Independent Constitutional Body.
Also proposed are the placing of a ceiling on the number of Ministries to be created by the President; repeal of the prerogative of mercy rights of the president and vesting that power in the legislature; and the inclusion of the physically challenged into the security services.
Other issues that have attracted attention are; a decoupling of the position of the Attorney General from that of the Minister of Justice; a review of the Constitutional injunction in article 78 (1) that majority of Ministers of State should come from Parliament and a review of article 78 (2), which does not place a ceiling on the number of Ministers a President may appoint.
Also included are the placement of a ceiling on the number of judges that may be appointed to the Supreme Court and the Appeal Court under article 128 (1) and 136(1) (b); a reconsideration of applying the tenure of judges to the heads of the independent Constitutional bodies - Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice, Electoral Commission and National Commission on Civic Education.
The rest are Chieftaincy and Politics, Decentralization and election of Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives, Human Rights and Spousal Rights.
Apart from the individual submissions from the general public, various institutions including Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), People With Disabilities; Traditional Council; and Human Rights Advocacy Centre presented papers for consideration.
Prof Fiadjoe noted that most of the submissions from the Greater Accra had already been captured during the regional consultations and hearings.
He, however, commended participants for their high sense of patriotism and assured them that the Commission would work around the clock to present their views to Government in January 2011.