Government endorses 5-year presidential term and 35 years as minimum age for presidential candidates

• The government has accepted a proposal to extend the President's term of office from four years to five years, with Parliament's tenure also increasing to five years.

• Attorney-General Dr Dominic Ayine said the current four-year term leaves little time for governments to implement policies, as transition and election activities consume much of the tenure.

• The White Paper also supports lowering the minimum age for presidential candidates to 35 years, holding elections in the first week of November, and introducing constitutional timelines for election petitions.

Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Dr Dominic Ayine, announced the government's position at a press conference at the Presidency on Thursday, July 30, shortly after the Constitutional Review Committee presented its final report to President John Dramani Mahama at Jubilee House.

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Presenting the government's White Paper on the committee's recommendations, Dr Ayine said the proposal is intended to give governments enough time to formulate, implement and assess their policies before returning to the electorate.

"The government has accepted a recommendation to extend the term of office of the president from four years to five years, with the term of Parliament extended to correspond with this," he announced.

Explaining the rationale behind the proposal, Dr Ayine said the current four-year cycle leaves governments with little time to deliver on their mandates.

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"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.

"A five-year term provides a more realistic time frame for the formulation, implementation and assessment of government policy."

The Attorney-General also disclosed that the government had accepted, in principle, a proposal to lower the minimum age for presidential candidates but opted for 35 years instead of the 30 years recommended by the Constitutional Review Committee.

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"The minimum age will be 35 years, not 30 years," he said, explaining that the age strikes a balance between expanding opportunities for younger Ghanaians and ensuring sufficient maturity for the country's highest office.

"Thirty-five is consistent with the trend in modern democratic constitutions towards greater inclusivity of the youth whilst ensuring that a candidate for the highest office has attained a measure of maturity and experience."

Dr Ayine further announced that the government had endorsed holding presidential elections during the first week of November, with the exact date to be determined by the Electoral Commission through a constitutional instrument.

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"A fixed period gives certainty to the electoral calendar. It allows the commission, the parties and observers to plan, and it ensures an adequate interval between the election and the inauguration of the incoming president on January 7."

The government has also accepted recommendations requiring presidential election petitions to be filed within 14 days after the declaration of results and determined by the Supreme Court within 30 days.

According to Dr Ayine, the proposed constitutional amendments would also require the Electoral Commission to disclose all relevant election data to the courts and parties involved in any petition.

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He said the reforms are intended to strengthen democratic governance and ensure the timely resolution of election disputes.