The government has formally endorsed a recommendation to extend the tenure of both the president and parliament from four to five years, signaling a significant shift in Ghana’s political landscape.
The announcement came as Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Dr. Dominic Ayine, presented the government’s White Paper on the Constitutional Review Committee’s recommendations.
According to Dr. Ayine, the decision to lengthen the term of office is rooted in the practical challenges faced by successive administrations. “The government has accepted a recommendation to extend the term of office of the president from four years to five years, with the term of Parliament extended to correspond with this,” he stated.
Dr. Ayine explained that the current four-year cycle leaves little room for governments to make a meaningful impact. “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. A five-year term provides a more realistic time frame for the formulation, implementation and assessment of government policy,” he noted.
The Attorney General also revealed that the government had accepted in principle the proposal to lower the minimum age for presidential candidates, though with an adjustment.
The Constitutional Review Committee had recommended reducing the minimum age from 40 to 30 years, but the government has settled on 35 years. “The minimum age will be 35 years, not 30 years. And of course, the details of this will be fashioned out by the Constitutional Review,” Dr. Ayine said.
These proposed changes form part of a broader constitutional review process aimed at strengthening Ghana’s democratic governance and ensuring that future administrations have adequate time and opportunity to deliver on their mandates.
Source: Apexnewsgh.com