Constitutional Review Committee proposes 5-year presidential term, 30-year age limit

The Constitutional Review Committee (CRC) has proposed significant reforms to Ghana’s governance structure, including extending the presidential term from four to five years.

According to the Committee, the current four-year term does not give presidents enough time to effectively implement policies and govern. The Chair of the Committee, Professor Henry Kwasi Prempeh, made this known during the presentation of highlights from the CRC’s final report to President John Dramani Mahama at the Jubilee House on Monday, December 22.

Professor Prempeh stressed that the proposed extension does not open the door to a third presidential term, noting that the idea found no support during the Committee’s nationwide consultations.

“We couldn’t find a place for a third term; nobody really seemed to like it, there was really no demand for it,” he said.

Beyond the presidency, the Committee also recommended major institutional and structural reforms aimed at strengthening accountability and efficiency in governance. One key proposal is the abolition of the current hybrid system that allows ministers to be appointed from Parliament. According to Prof Prempeh, separating the Executive from the Legislature would enhance oversight and improve governance outcomes.

“We propose what we call the hybrid; we dispense with it and focus on things we think will be new. There are a lot of talks around the separation. Another proposal is how the public sector has been organised and the role of partisanship, whether in State-Owned Enterprises, the commercial sector, or public services. The appointment processes should also change for State Enterprises,” he said.

The CRC also called for reforms to the appointment and management of state-owned enterprises, advocating for their depoliticisation. In addition, the Committee proposed a review of the Council of State, recommending a return to its original structure as envisioned under the 1969 Constitution.

“We’re also proposing significant changes in the Council of State in the way it is organised, returning it to the original 1969 intention. One of the areas of importance is the relationship between the Executive and the Legislature,” he added.

On matters of justice and accountability, the Committee proposed a reorganisation of the powers of the Attorney-General. Prof Prempeh explained that some of the Attorney-General’s current responsibilities, particularly in relation to corruption cases, should be transferred to a new Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission. This, the Committee believes, would allow the Attorney-General to focus on international arbitration and major constitutional cases.

“ORAL will be done by some other body. We want to take some of the powers of the A-G and give to an Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission,” he said.

Related to this, the CRC recommended that the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) be split into two separate bodies, with one focusing solely on human rights and the other dedicated to handling corruption-related matters.

“We are proposing a one-year extension for the president. Four-year period is pretty low. And a one-year campaign period, a short one for political parties, so that the government will have time to govern. We’re proposing CHRAJ can focus on human rights, and we’ll create a new Commission out of it to handle corruption cases,” Prof Prempeh stated.

The Committee also made proposals affecting local governance, particularly as Ghana considers the election of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs). It suggested a stronger role for traditional authorities at the sub-district level.

“We’re proposing that if we’re going to be electing MMDCEs, we should also take another look at the legitimacy the chiefs have at the local level. So, we’re proposing to bring them to the local government structure. We’re proposing to bring them to a more direct governing role at the sub-district level on how our towns and villages are run,” Prof Prempeh said.

The CRC has spent several months gathering nationwide feedback on proposed amendments to Ghana’s 1992 Constitution. President Mahama earlier disclosed that the Committee had briefed him on its preliminary findings during a meeting held three weeks prior to the final presentation.

“They met me three weeks ago and made a presentation of some of the findings they were going to make. They are quite interesting. 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,” he stated during a meeting with the National Peace Council at the Jubilee House on Wednesday, December 10.

The Mahama-led government is expected to review the Committee’s recommendations before deciding on the next steps toward implementation.