Extend presidential term to 5 years: Constitution Review Committee proposes - Calls for fixed campaign period

The Constitution Review Committee (CRC) has presented a set of far-reaching reform proposals to President John Dramani Mahama, key among them being the extension of the presidential term of office from four to five years.

The committee, led by its Chairman, Professor H. Kwasi Prempeh, argued that the current four-year term was "too short" and below the global and regional norm.

The proposal is coupled with a recommendation to establish a definite, legally bounded campaign season to curb perpetual electioneering and allow governments more time to govern.

Rationale

Presenting a summary of the committee's report at the Presidency yesterday, Prof. Prempeh explained that the recommendations were aimed at enhancing governance and allowing elected officials to focus on their core duties.

"The President takes about six months or so to set up, and then one year campaigning and all of that," Prof. Prempeh stated.

"So we thought, okay, so if we then followed the example of other countries in Africa where there is a definite campaign period, before which you cannot do electioneering," he said.

He likened the proposed system to a "fishing season", where campaigning would only be permitted within a specified window.

"You have to open it before you can go fishing," he said. This, the committee believes, would "free up time for governing" and end the cycle of "four-year campaigns,” he said.

On the extension of the term, Prof. Prempeh said Ghana and Nigeria currently had the shortest terms in the region.

"We're proposing an extension by one more year," he said, following recommendations from "eminent persons," including former heads of state.

Fighting corruption

The committee also proposed significant changes to the fight against corruption and the structure of the Office of the Attorney-General.

Due to the political nature of the appointment, the committee recommended the creation of an independent Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission to handle prosecutions, particularly in cases of political corruption.

“We want to take some of the Attorney-General’s powers, so that work will be done by some other body,” Prof. Prempeh said.

The commission would be formed by merging some existing agencies, allowing the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) to focus solely on human rights issues.

On the sensitive issue of integrating traditional authorities (chiefs) into local government structures at the town and village level, the committee described it as a “radical transformation” that required more dialogue.

Therefore, the matter has been deferred to a proposed Devolution Commission to engage with the National House of Chiefs and the government to fashion modalities.

“It wasn't an attempt to kick the can down the road,” Prof. Prempeh clarified, “but we believe that some of these decisions need a little bit more deliberation and more thought.”

Implementation

President Mahama commended members of the committee for their integrity and non-partisan work, which he believed would foster national consensus on proposed amendments to the 1992 Constitution.

The President emphasised the careful selection of the committee to build public trust and avoid the pitfalls of previous unsuccessful review attempts.

“We said, let's choose the committee very carefully, so that when the report comes out, it would be non-partisan; it would not have been influenced by any political interest, to make it easier for all of us to come together and move the process forward,” President Mahama stated.

He acknowledged the durability and service of the 1992 Constitution but added that a time comes for adjustments to ensure its relevance for the future.

“The committee had the opportunity to give me a presentation of some of their recommendations before. So I'm not as shocked as some of you who are sitting here, who are here for the first time,” he added, hinting at the significant nature of the proposals.

The President described many of the recommendations as “quite revolutionary” and “quite radical,” but stressed that they are in the interest of deepening Ghana’s democracy, especially at a time of democratic backsliding in the sub-region.

“All the Afrobarometer reports show that a lot of our citizens are beginning to lose faith in our democracy. And that is why it is important for us to let them know that democratic governance is still better than any other form of governance,” he argued, cautioning against the “romanticism of military governments.

Providing a notable example from the report, President Mahama revealed that a key recommendation aimed at enhancing governance credibility involved granting the Council of State a bigger role in certain presidential appointments.

“Of course, the President will still sign the appointment letters, but the Council of State will go through the process of identifying the persons to be appointed,” he explained.

He announced that the committee members, after a well-deserved rest over the Christmas period, would be called upon early next year to form a Constitutional Review Implementation Committee to ensure institutional memory was retained.

“Early next year, I will announce an implementation committee; we'll move from the Constitutional Review process into the implementation process,” he said.

“For now, the report will be studied and handed over to the Attorney-General and the legal council for scrutiny and synchronisation of views,” the President stated.

The President also indicated that a decision would be taken on a date to publish the summary report for public awareness while awaiting the final detailed copy.

In his closing remarks, President Mahama expressed profound gratitude to the committee on behalf of Ghanaians.

“You have done a great service to our nation, and you can be proud of yourselves,” he said.