The Government of Ghana has accepted a recommendation by the Constitutional Review Committee(CRC) to extend the tenure of the President and Members of Parliament from four years to five years, saying the current time limit distorts the effective implementation of policies.
Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Dr Dominic Ayine, announced this position at the Government Accountability series at the Presidency on Thursday, July 30, shortly after the CRC presented its final report of recommendations to President John Dramani Mahama at Jubilee House.
Dr Ayine said the four-year term often means the early months of an administration are consumed by transition activities, while the final year is dominated by electioneering, leaving limited time to deliver on campaign promises.
“The government has accepted the 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 said.
He added that a five-year mandate would provide a more realistic timeframe for policy formulation, implementation and assessment, while reducing the impact of frequent elections on governance.
“Our thinking is practical. Under the current four-year cycle, the early months of every administration are consumed by transition and the final year is consumed by election.
A five-year term provides a more realistic timeframe for the formulation, implementation and the assessment of every government,” Dr. Ayine outlined.
The proposal forms part of a broader package of constitutional reforms in the final report of the CRC chaired by Professor H. Kwasi Prempeh.
The report contains recommendations aimed at reviewing Ghana’s 1992 Constitution, including proposals affecting governance structures, the powers of state institutions and the tenure of elected office holders.