Algiers: The Constitutional Review Committee under the Chairmanship of Professor Henry Kwasi Prempeh has proposed the extension of Ghanas four-year Presidential tenure to five years. Presenting the report to President John Dramani Mahama at the seat of Government in Accra, Prof Prempeh said the Committee could not find a place for a third term Presidency.

According to Ghana News Agency, Prof Prempeh explained that the Committee thoroughly examined the possibility of a third term but found no demand or support for it. He stated, “There isnt. Yeah, we couldnt find a place for a third term. So. We looked and looked and looked. We couldnt find. We realised that the President himself doesnt like it.”

Article 66(2) of Ghanas 1992 Constitution strictly limits the Presidency to a maximum of two four-year tenures. Prof Prempeh noted that the Committee did not find any ambiguity in this article and decided to maintain it as is. However, they considered recommendations from various eminent persons, including some f
ormer officeholders, who felt that the four-year term was insufficient.

Prof Prempeh highlighted that the four-year tenure is comparatively short, especially when considering global trends where five-year terms are more common. He mentioned that Ghana, alongside Nigeria, has one of the shortest presidential tenures in the region.

The Committee proposed extending the tenure by one year and made additional recommendations regarding campaigning practices. Prof Prempeh suggested implementing a definite campaign period, similar to practices in countries like Senegal, to allow elected officials to focus on governance rather than continuous campaigning.

The Committee, inaugurated by President Mahama on 19th January, took 11 months to complete its work. President Mahama, upon receiving the report, praised the Committee for its efforts and announced plans to establish a Constitutional Review Implementation Committee early next year to commence its work.