The government has accepted a major recommendation from the Constitutional Review Committee to extend the tenure of Ghana’s President and Parliament from four years to five years, marking a significant proposed change to the country’s democratic framework and electoral system.
The announcement was made by the Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Dr Dominic Ayine, during the presentation of the government’s White Paper on the recommendations submitted by the Constitutional Review Committee.
According to Dr Ayine, the decision to support a longer political term is aimed at giving elected administrations sufficient time to design, implement and assess national policies before returning to the electorate for a fresh mandate.
“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 stated.
The Attorney General explained that the current four year electoral cycle creates significant challenges for governments because substantial periods of every administration are occupied by transitional arrangements at the beginning and election preparations towards the end.
“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,” Dr Ayine explained.
He argued that extending the tenure to five years would establish a more effective governance period, allowing administrations to move beyond short term political considerations and focus more fully on delivering national development programmes.
“A five year term provides a more realistic time frame for the formulation, implementation and assessment of government policy,” he added.
The proposed extension represents one of the most significant constitutional reform proposals considered in Ghana’s democratic history, as it would alter the structure of political administration established under the 1992 Constitution.
Since the beginning of the Fourth Republic, Ghana has operated under a four year presidential and parliamentary electoral cycle, a system designed to balance effective governance with regular democratic accountability.
Supporters of the proposed change argue that a five year term could improve policy continuity, enhance long term planning and provide governments with additional time to complete major development projects.
However, the recommendation is expected to generate further national debate, particularly regarding concerns about political accountability, the frequency of elections and the need to maintain strong democratic checks on executive authority.
In addition to the proposed extension of political terms, Dr Ayine announced that government had also accepted, in principle, another major recommendation concerning the eligibility age for presidential candidates.
The Constitutional Review Committee had proposed reducing the minimum age requirement for presidential candidates from the current constitutional threshold of 40 years to 30 years.
However, the government accepted the recommendation with a modification, settling on a minimum eligibility age of 35 years rather than the committee’s proposed 30 years.
“Still under the presidency, the committee recommended that the minimum age of eligibility for election as president be reduced from 40 years, currently in the Constitution, to 30 years. The government has accepted this recommendation in principle, subject to one modification,” Dr Ayine said.
“The minimum age will be 35 years, not 30 years. And of course, the details of this will be fashioned out by the Constitutional Review,” he added.
The proposed reduction in the presidential age requirement is expected to reshape discussions about youth participation in national leadership and political representation.
Under the existing constitutional arrangement, candidates seeking the presidency must be at least 40 years old, a provision that critics have argued limits opportunities for younger citizens with leadership capacity and national experience.
Those supporting reform believe reducing the age threshold would broaden democratic participation and recognise the increasing role of younger generations in Ghana’s political, economic and social development.
The government’s acceptance of these recommendations now moves the constitutional reform conversation into a critical stage, where further legal processes, parliamentary consideration and public engagement will determine whether the proposed amendments eventually become part of Ghana’s constitutional order.
If implemented, the changes would represent a historic transformation of Ghana’s Fourth Republican governance structure by altering both the length of political mandates and the eligibility requirements for the highest office of the land.
The reforms are therefore expected to remain at the centre of national debate as stakeholders assess how best to balance effective governance, democratic accountability and broader inclusion within Ghana’s constitutional democracy.
