By: Kenneth Appiah Bani
The Constitutional Review Committee has revealed that there is no public support for the introduction of a third term for presidents under Ghana’s 1992 Constitution, despite recommending an extension of the presidential tenure from four to five years.
Presenting the committee’s final report on Monday, December 22, Chair of the Committee, Professor H. Kwasi Prempeh, said nationwide consultations showed overwhelming resistance to any attempt to extend presidential stay in office beyond the current two-term limit.
We couldn’t find a place for a third term; nobody really seemed to like it. There was really no demand for it,” Prof Prempeh stated.
However, the committee has recommended a change to the length of a single presidential term, proposing that it be increased from four years to five years. According to the committee, the recommendation is intended to improve policy continuity and reduce the frequency of elections, which often disrupt governance and strain national resources.
Prof Prempeh explained that the proposed five-year term would still be capped at two terms, maintaining the constitutional limit while addressing concerns about effective governance.
Beyond the issue of presidential tenure, the committee also proposed reforms to the appointment process of heads of state-owned enterprises, calling for greater transparency and accountability in public sector leadership.
The committee further recommended a review of the powers of the Attorney-General (A-G), suggesting that some of the A-G’s functions, particularly those relating to corruption-related prosecutions, be transferred to an independent Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission.
“With the powers of the Attorney-General, we want a review. Some of the powers should be taken away and given to an Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission to handle cases of corruption,” Prof Prempeh said.
He added that the proposed reforms would allow the Attorney-General to concentrate on international arbitration and major constitutional matters. Under the proposal, corruption-related work currently handled by ORAL would be reassigned to a different body.
“ORAL will be done by some other body. We want to take some of the powers of the A-G and give them to an Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission,” he stressed.
The Constitutional Review Committee spent several months gathering nationwide feedback on proposed amendments to various aspects of Ghana’s 1992 Constitution.
President John Dramani Mahama earlier disclosed that the committee had briefed him on its preliminary findings during a meeting held three weeks ago. Speaking during an engagement with the National Peace Council at the Jubilee House on Wednesday, December 10, the President described the findings as “quite interesting.”
“They met me three weeks ago and made a presentation of some of the findings they were going to make. They intend to present the final results on December 22. Once the final report is presented, we will make it known to the rest of the nation,” President Mahama said.
The committee’s recommendations are expected to trigger extensive national debate as the government considers the next steps toward constitutional reform.
