Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Dominic Ayine, has announced that the government has accepted a proposal to amend the 1992 Constitution to allow Ghanaian citizens by birth with dual nationality to contest parliamentary elections without renouncing their foreign citizenship.
While addressing the media at the Government’s Accountabilty Series, the Attorney-General announced Government’s position on the final recommendations of the Constitutional Review Committee(CRC), Dr Ayine said the existing restriction no longer aligns with the realities of modern citizenship.
“The current disqualification sits uneasily with our engagement with the diaspora and with the realities of modern citizenship,” he said.
In the proposed change, Ghanaian citizens by birth who hold other citizenships will be eligible to stand for elections as Members of Parliament. He also explained that Government’s position is aimed at making sure qualified Ghanaians are not excluded from public service based solely on their dual citizenship status.
He also said that multiple citizenships would also no longer prevent individuals from occupying certain high public offices.
“Multiple citizenship will not disqualify a person from becoming Chief Justice of the Republic, becoming the head of the Electoral Commission, or becoming Speaker of Parliament,” he stated.
However, according to the Attorney-General, the restriction on dual or multiple citizenship would remain for the highest offices of the land which is the President and Vice President.
He said this decision by Government is part of its agenda to ensure that Constitutional provisions always reflect the country’s political and economic realities.