Dr Dominic Ayine, the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, has disclosed that the government has accepted the Constitutional Review Committee’s (CRC) proposal to move Ghana’s presidential election to the first week of November.
According to Dr Ayine, the proposed change would provide a smoother transition to a new administration.
He argued that fixing the election period would also create a sufficient interval between the declaration of results and the inauguration of an incoming President on January 7.
Speaking at the Government Accountability Series on Thursday, July 30, Dr Ayine stated, “We have accepted that the Presidential Election be held on a day in the first week of November as the Electoral Commission may specify by constitutional instrument. A fixed period giving certainty to the electoral calendar.
It allows the Commission, the parties and the observers to plan, and it ensures an adequate interval between the election and the inauguration of the incoming President on January 7,” he said.
Also, Dr Dominic Ayine has announced that the Mahama government has accepted a key recommendation of the Constitutional Review Committee (CRC) to extend the tenure of the President and Parliament from four years to five years.
Presenting the government’s White Paper on the Constitutional Review Committee’s recommendations, Dr Ayine stated, “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”.
“Our thinking is practical. 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.”
Although the Constitutional Review Committee proposed reducing the eligibility age from the current 40 years to 30 years, the Mahama administration has opted for a minimum age of 35 years.
“Still under the presidency, the committee recommended that the minimum age of eligibility for election as president be reduced from 40 years, currently in the Constitution, to 30 years. The government has accepted this recommendation in principle, subject to one modification,” he said.
“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.”
It will be recalled that the Constitution Review Committee has recommended a one-year extension of Ghana’s presidential term.
The Committee proposed that Ghana’s presidential term be moved from the current four-year tenure to a five-year term to enable governments more time to govern.
Professor Henry Kwasi Prempeh, the Chairman of the Committee, presented the Committee’s report to President John Mahama on Monday, December 22, and made this known.
According to the Chair of the committee, they were persuaded by submissions from several eminent persons, including former president.
He revealed that they argued that four years is insufficient for meaningful governance, adding that the committee has noted the global standard for presidential tenure is five years.
They cited concern that the President spends about six months settling into office and nearly a year campaigning, noting that a portion of a four-year term is lost to administrative transition and election year.
Meanwhile, the Global InfoAnalytics new poll has revealed that 57 per cent of Ghanaians approve of the Constitutional Review Commission proposal to extend the presidential term from four to five years.
On Monday, December 29, the poll released shows that 57 per cent of respondents approve of the change, while 36 per cent oppose it, with 7 per cent not having an opinion on the issue.
Also, 58 per cent of voters expressed approval to prohibit members of parliament from holding ministerial positions, with 32 per cent showing disapproval and 10 per cent having no opinion.
@ghnow_ Teacher Kojo perform at the funeral of Apostle Kwadwo Safo Kantanka. 💃🏾🔥 #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow
@ghnow_ Teacher Kojo shows off his impressive dance moves during his performance at the funeral of Apostle Kwadwo Safo Kantanka. 💃🏾🔥 #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow
