Government Backs 5-Year Presidential Term

The Mahama administration endorsed sweeping constitutional reforms yesterday at the Government Accountability Series at the Presidency. These reforms include extending the tenure of the President and Parliament from four to five years, electing all Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs), capping ministers at 60, and separating the Office of the Attorney-General from the Ministry of Justice.

Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Dr. Dominic Ayine, announced the government's position, stating that Cabinet had completed an extensive review of recommendations from the Constitution Review Committee, chaired by Prof. H. Kwasi Prempeh. The committee proposed 206 constitutional reforms, comprising 147 amendments and 59 new provisions. Cabinet also endorsed holding presidential elections during the first week of November and introducing constitutional timelines requiring election petitions to be filed within 14 days and concluded by the Supreme Court within 30 days. The minimum age for presidential candidates was accepted, in principle, to be reduced from 40 to 35 years, and Parliament's membership would be fixed at a maximum of 300, with 276 existing constituency seats and an additional 24 seats.