Ghana approves five-year presidential term

Ghana has approved a proposal to increase the presidential tenure from four years to five years and reduce the minimum age for presidential candidates from 40 to 35.

The move follows a review of the country’s 1992 Constitution by a committee established by President John Mahama last year.

However, Felix Ofosu, Ghana’s minister for government communications, said on Thursday that the proposed constitutional changes would not benefit the current president.

Earlier, Dominic Ayine, the attorney-general and minister of justice, said the government had accepted the committee’s recommendation, explaining that a longer tenure would allow future administrations more time to carry out their programmes before facing another election.

Ayine said the current four-year term gives governments little time to fully implement their development plans because transition activities at the start of an administration and election preparations toward the end consume a significant portion of the tenure.

He added that a five-year term would create a more suitable period for governance, policy execution and evaluating the performance of any administration.

The government also approved a recommendation to extend the tenure of parliament so it aligns with the proposed presidential term.

It further accepted a proposal to move presidential elections to the first week of November to provide sufficient time between the election and the January 7 swearing-in ceremony.

The proposed amendment on presidential tenure must still pass through the required legislative processes before it can be presented to voters in a national referendum in 2027.

For the constitutional amendment to take effect, at least 40 percent of registered voters must participate in the referendum, while at least 75 percent of those who vote must support the proposal.