The government has thrown its support behind a proposal to extend the term of office of the President and Parliament from four years to five years.
Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Dr Dominic Ayine, announced the position while presenting the government’s White Paper on the recommendations of the Constitutional Review Committee (CRC).
According to Dr Ayine, the change is aimed at giving governments sufficient time to develop, implement and assess their policies without the pressure of a short electoral cycle.
He argued that under the existing four-year system, significant portions of an administration’s tenure are taken up by transition and election-related activities.
“Our thinking is practical. Under the current four-year cycle, the early months of every administration are consumed by transition matters, and the final year is largely consumed by elections.”
The government believes extending the term to five years would provide a more effective window for policy implementation and evaluation.
“A five-year term provides a more realistic time frame for the formulation, implementation and assessment of government policy,” Dr Ayine said.
Presidential age limit to be 35
On the eligibility age for the presidency, the government has accepted the principle of reducing the current minimum age of 40, but has departed from the CRC’s recommendation of 30 years.
The CRC had proposed that Ghanaians aged 30 and above should be eligible to contest the presidency. The government, however, has settled on 35 years.
“The minimum age will be 35 years, not 30 years,” Dr Ayine announced.
He added that the specific constitutional and legal details surrounding the proposed changes would be worked out as the review process progresses.
The proposals are part of the government’s response to the wide-ranging recommendations submitted by the Constitutional Review Committee as Ghana considers possible amendments to the 1992 Constitution.
