The Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) has thrown its support behind a proposal to prevent Members of Parliament (MPs) from simultaneously serving as ministers, deputy ministers or regional ministers.
The policy think tank says the proposed restriction would strengthen the separation of powers, enhance Parliament’s independence and improve the legislature’s ability to effectively scrutinise and hold the Executive accountable.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, the IEA said it fully supports the recommendation by the Constitution Review Committee, chaired by Professor H. Kwasi Prempeh, that sitting MPs should not be appointed to ministerial positions while retaining their parliamentary seats.
The Prempeh Committee recommended that a person serving as an MP should not simultaneously hold the position of minister, deputy minister or regional minister.
However, the government rejected the recommendation, maintaining that the President should retain the discretion to appoint ministers from either within or outside Parliament.
The IEA has disagreed with that position, arguing that the existing arrangement creates a potential conflict of interest and could undermine Parliament’s constitutional responsibility to scrutinise the Executive.
“The IEA fully supports the Committee’s position,” the Institute stated.
According to the IEA, meaningful separation of powers is critical to ensuring that Parliament can independently perform its oversight functions without being influenced by the prospect of executive appointments.
“A meaningful separation of powers is essential to strengthening Parliament’s independence and its capacity to exercise effective oversight over the Executive,” the Institute said.
IEA Raises Concern Over Executive Influence
The think tank argued that Parliament’s ability to subject government policies, decisions and expenditures to rigorous scrutiny could be compromised when a significant number of MPs simultaneously hold executive positions.
It noted that some MPs may have an interest in maintaining favourable relations with the President because of the possibility of being appointed to ministerial or other executive positions.
“Parliament cannot be expected to provide robust scrutiny of Government while a significant proportion of its members simultaneously depend on presidential appointment for executive office,” the IEA said.
The Institute believes separating parliamentary membership from ministerial office would enable MPs to discharge their oversight responsibilities more independently and without the potential influence of executive appointments.
It further suggests that the reform could contribute to a stronger system of checks and balances, ensuring that the Executive remains accountable to Parliament.
Background to the Constitutional Reform Proposal
The Constitution Review Committee, chaired by Professor H. Kwasi Prempeh, was established by President John Dramani Mahama in 2025 to review previous proposals for constitutional reform, engage citizens and stakeholders, and make recommendations on possible amendments to the 1992 Constitution.
The committee submitted its report to the President in December 2025.
Among its recommendations was the proposed separation of parliamentary and ministerial responsibilities, which has now become a subject of renewed public and political debate.
Following the government’s consideration of the committee’s recommendations, the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Dr Dominic Ayine, on August 28, 2026, inaugurated an 11-member Constitution Review Implementation Committee.
The committee, chaired by Presidential Legal Counsel and former Attorney-General Marietta Brew Appiah-Oppong, has been tasked with translating the constitutional reform recommendations accepted by the government into concrete constitutional amendments, legislation and other practical measures.
The IEA’s position is therefore likely to add fresh momentum to the debate over whether Ghana should continue with the current practice of allowing MPs to simultaneously serve in the Executive or adopt a clearer separation between Parliament and ministerial office.
