Economic Fighters League Demands Inclusion in Ghana's Constitutional Review
The Economic Fighters League has urged Ghana’s youth, women, and persons with disabilities to meticulously scrutinize the upcoming Constitutional Review Committee report and advocate for reforms that guarantee more inclusive political representation.
In a statement released on December 17, the League emphasized the critical moment, stating the report will significantly shape Ghana’s political landscape for coming generations, ahead of its submission to President John Mahama.
The group specifically called on these demographics to prioritize proposals regarding Proportional Representation, describing it as the most vital reform before the committee. “This moment matters. It will shape the political future of our country for generations. We urge you to pay close attention, and to speak with clarity and courage, especially on one reform that we presented to the Constitutional Review Committee, and that protects your interests more than any other: Proportional Representation,” the statement read.
The Economic Fighters League strongly criticized the current winner-takes-all system, asserting that it systematically excludes large segments of the population from impactful political involvement. “Ghana’s current winner-takes-all electoral system has locked out millions. It marginalises the youth, sidelines women, and structurally excludes persons living with disabilities. It rewards money, muscle, and political godfathers, not ideas, competence, or lived experience. This is not democracy. It is exclusion by design,” the statement declared.
According to the League, adopting Proportional Representation would address these issues by easing barriers to entry into Parliament. “Proportional Representation offers a different path. It lowers the barriers to political participation. It makes inclusion deliberate rather than accidental. It creates space for young people, women, and persons living with disabilities to enter Parliament without having to fight hostile, expensive, and physically demanding constituency battles,” the statement explained.
The organization believes this reform would move Ghana beyond token representation towards genuine inclusivity. “It replaces tokenism with real representation,” they added.
The impact of Proportional Representation was outlined for each group. For the youth, the League stated, “Proportional Representation means your numbers finally count. Your votes translate into seats, your ideas into policy, and your energy into leadership.”
Women, the statement contended, would benefit from the dismantling of existing obstacles. “For women, it means breaking the walls of patriarchal gatekeeping and ending the myth that politics belongs only to men with money and connections,” it said.
Similarly, persons with disabilities would experience a shift towards a more equitable system. “For persons living with disabilities, it means a political system that recognises citizenship without conditions and leadership without ableist prejudice,” the League emphasized.
The League was firm in its position that the call for reform is about fundamental justice. “This is not about charity. It is about justice. It is about building a democracy that reflects the true diversity of Ghanaian society,” the statement affirmed.
The Economic Fighters League has called on all citizens to actively engage with the forthcoming report. “As Fighters, we call on the youth, women, and persons living with disabilities to demand that Proportional Representation is not sidelined, diluted, or buried in technical language,” they urged. “Watch the report. Read it. Question it. Organise around it. This is your chance to shape and own your democracy – make your voices impossible to ignore.”
Concluding their statement, the group stressed that constitutional reform should prioritize the welfare of the citizenry above the protection of political power. “Constitutional reform must not protect power. It must protect the people. Proportional Representation is not a favour. It is a democratic right.”
Image Source: MYJOYONLINE
