IDEG urges Judiciary and Parliament to pass law setting 120-day limit for election dispute rulings

The Institute for Democratic Governance (IDEG) has urged Ghana’s Judiciary and Parliament to introduce legislation that will require the resolution of parliamentary election petitions within 120 days.

In a statement issued after a post-election forum in Accra last Tuesday, IDEG said the recommendation followed the implementation of the Strategic and Impactful Implementation of Electoral and Institutional Reforms in Ghana project. 

The initiative, launched in 2023 by IDEG and NORSAAC with support from the European Union, sought to advance recommendations made by the EU Election Observation Mission after the 2020 general elections.

Mr Kwesi Jonah, a Research Fellow at IDEG responsible for Advocacy and Institutional Relations, stated that although the Judicial Service had updated its Election Adjudication Manual to improve dispute handling, the absence of corresponding legislation meant that there was still no binding deadline for resolving petitions.

“It is one thing to revise manuals; it is another to ensure implementation through law. Without legislation, the delays in resolving electoral disputes will persist,” Mr Jonah said.

He explained that introducing a legal deadline of 120 days would bring Ghana in line with international standards and help strengthen public confidence in the electoral process.

IDEG believes resolving disputes within a defined period is necessary to avoid prolonged uncertainty and protect the integrity of parliamentary representation.

The group maintains that the proposed reform should be considered as part of Ghana’s post-2024 democratic development agenda.

The forum formed part of a wider effort to examine how electoral and institutional reforms could be sustained beyond the next election cycle.