The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has rejected a recommendation to extend Ghana’s presidential term from four to five years, insisting that the existing four-year mandate should be maintained.
The party’s position differs from that of the government, which has accepted the Constitutional Review Committee’s (CRC) recommendation for a five-year presidential term.
The NPP announced its position at a press conference on Thursday, September 17, where Alhassan Tampuli presented the party’s views on the proposed constitutional reforms.
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According to the NPP, extending the presidential term is unnecessary, particularly because the proposed change to the electoral calendar would already provide additional time for a smooth transition between administrations.
“The Constitution Review Committee recommended that the Presidential term be extended from four to five years. The Attorney-General informed Ghanaians that the government has accepted that recommendation, but we have taken a different position from the position of government and the CRC,” the party said.
“We do not support the extension, and we support the retention of the existing four-year term.”
The NPP argued that retaining the four-year presidential mandate would strengthen democratic accountability by allowing citizens to regularly assess the performance of elected governments.
The party said voters should have the opportunity to periodically determine whether an administration deserves another mandate or should be replaced.
The NPP also pointed to the proposed rescheduling of presidential elections from December to November as a reason why an extension of the presidential term would not be necessary.
According to the party, moving the election date forward would give an incoming administration additional time to prepare for an orderly transition and assume office.
While rejecting the proposed five-year presidential term, the NPP said it supports another major recommendation by the CRC: reducing the minimum age for presidential candidates from 40 to 30.
The party’s position differs from the government’s proposal to reduce the threshold to 35.
The NPP said the current minimum age of 40 unnecessarily limits the ability of younger Ghanaians to aspire to the presidency.
“We share the position of the CRC that the minimum age should be 30. The current minimum age of 40 unnecessarily restricts the ability of younger Ghanaians to aspire to the high office of the Republic,” the party said.
It further argued that setting the minimum age at 35 would continue to exclude a significant number of young Ghanaians from seeking the presidency.
The two issues form part of wider discussions surrounding the proposed constitutional reforms, with political parties and other stakeholders expected to present their positions before any changes are considered through the constitutional amendment process.