Mahama Government Backs 5-year Presidential Term Proposal

• Attorney General Dr Dominic Ayine presented the government's White Paper on the Constitutional Review Committee's recommendations
• The government accepted the proposal to extend the presidential and parliamentary term from four years to five years
• A recommendation to lower the minimum age for presidential candidates also received conditional approval from the government

The term of office of the president of Ghana could be extended from four years to five years. This will not apply to sitting president John Mahama if passed.

The Attorney General, Dr Dominic Ayine, has announced that the government has accepted a proposal to extend the presidential term.

The proposal forms part of the government’s White Paper on the recommendations of the Constitutional Review Committee, which seeks to implement several reforms aimed at strengthening Ghana’s democratic institutions, improving governance and making the country’s political system more inclusive.

The Attorney General maintained that a longer tenure would allow governments to properly develop, execute and assess their policies before returning to voters.

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Ghana government accepts CRC proposal to cap Parliament at 300 MPs

Beyond the term extension, Dr Ayine also announced that the government had accepted, in principle, a separate CRC recommendation to lower the minimum age requirement for presidential candidates, though with a notable modification.

The committee had proposed dropping the eligibility threshold from the current constitutional requirement of 40 years to 30 years. The government, however, opted for a compromise, settling on a minimum age of 35 years.

The Attorney General also announced that the government has accepted a proposal to place a constitutional cap on the size of Parliament, with the total number of Members of Parliament not expected to exceed 300.

Who were the members of the committee?

The eight-member committee appointed to this national task comprised the following persons:

1. Professor Henry Kwasi Prempeh (Chairman) – Executive Director, Ghana Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana)
2. Dr. Rainer Akumperigya, Esq. (Secretary) – Founding Partner, Partners and Associates
3. Her Ladyship Justice (Mrs.) Sophia O. A. Adinyira – Retired Justice of the Supreme Court of Ghana
4. Professor Kwame Karikari – Retired Professor and former Director, School of Communications, University of Ghana, and former Member, National Media Commission
5. Ms. Charlotte Kesson-Smith Osei, Esq. – Founder and Managing Consultant, Cyrus Law; former Chairperson, National Commission for Civic Education; and former Chairperson, Electoral Commission of Ghana
6. Dr. Esi Ansah – Executive Director, Center for Leadership, Ashesi University
7. Alhaji Ibrahim-Tanko Amidu – Executive Director, STAR-Ghana Foundation
8. Dr. Godwin Djokoto, Esq. – Senior Lecturer, UG School of Law, University of Ghana

Source: YEN.com.gh