Kufuor proposes Second Chamber of Parliament to check presidential power over key appointments

Former President John Agyekum Kufuor has called for the creation of a second chamber of parliament to reduce what he described as the “excessive appointing powers” of the presidency.

Speaking at a high-level media forum organised by the Africa Media Bureau at the Alisa Hotel, Accra (September 26, 2025), the former president weighed in on ongoing discussions about a possible merger of the National Media Commission (NMC) and the National Communications Authority (NCA).

Instead of merging, he argued that reforms should focus on reshaping how leaders of such independent bodies are appointed.

“Currently, everybody is saying the president has too much power, especially when it comes to appointments. That is where the issue of undue political advantage comes in,” he noted.

Kufuor proposed that a new parliamentary chamber, not the President or the Council of State, should vet nominees to critical institutions like the NMC and NCA.

“It shouldn’t be just the president saying so. There should be a body within the law, which is the second chamber, doing the vetting for people who will be recommended. So when they get their positions to be independent, they will work as such,” he said.

He stressed that such a shift would deepen accountability, reduce political interference, and bolster public trust in regulatory bodies central to media freedom and communications oversight.