The government has endorsed proposals to extend the tenure of both the President and Parliament from four years to five years and to lower the minimum age for presidential candidates to 35 years, as part of a broader constitutional reform agenda.
Attorney General and Minister for Justice Dr. Dominic Ayine announced the decisions while presenting the government’s White Paper on the Constitutional Review Committee (CRC) recommendations.
The proposed five-year term is one of the most significant constitutional changes accepted by the government and is aimed at giving elected administrations more time to implement and assess their policies before facing voters.
According to Dr. Ayine, the current four-year electoral cycle places governments under constant political pressure, with substantial portions of each term consumed by transition and election-related activities.
“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,” he said.
He argued that a five-year mandate would provide a more effective timeframe for policy formulation, implementation and evaluation.
The government also accepted, in principle, the committee’s recommendation to reduce the minimum age for presidential candidates, but opted for 35 years instead of the 30 years proposed by the CRC.
Dr. Ayine said the revised age threshold would be incorporated into the constitutional reform process, with the detailed legal framework to be developed through the ongoing review.
The acceptance of the recommendations signals the government’s intention to pursue substantial amendments to Ghana’s governance framework, including reforms affecting the executive and legislative branches.
The proposals will form part of the broader constitutional review process, which is expected to involve further legal drafting and public consultation before any amendments can take effect.
