By Mavis Paintsil, Accra
The Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) has kicked against plans to extend the tenure of Ghana’s President and Members of Parliament from four years to five years.
The policy think-tank insists the current four-year mandate is enough for any prepared government to deliver on its promises.
The proposal was contained in the recommendations of the Constitution Review Committee chaired by Professor H. Kwasi Prempeh. The committee argued that an extra year would give governments more time to formulate, implement and assess policies – a position subsequently accepted by government.
But the IEA disagrees.
At a press briefing ahead of its “Views and Reflections” seminar on the constitutional review process, former Chief Justice and IEA Fellow, Justice Sophia Akuffo, said there is no compelling evidence to justify the extension.
According to her, serious governments must prepare before assuming power and must be ready to hit the ground running from day one.
“Four years you prepare before you come into office. In fact, you prepare before you even vie for power, so that on the day you come to power, from that day you’re on your feet and running,” she stated.
She also criticized the practice where it takes up to six months for new governments to appoint ministers and fill key positions, describing it as a waste of the mandate.
The IEA maintained that while the 1992 Constitution has sustained nine Parliaments, five Presidents and four peaceful transfers of power, institutional weaknesses and excessive concentration of power in the Executive make reforms necessary – but not a term extension.
President John Dramani Mahama set up the Prempeh Committee in 2025 to review past reform proposals and consult widely before recommending amendments.
Government has since inaugurated an 11-member Implementation Committee led by Attorney-General Dr. Dominic Ayine on August 28, 2026, to roll out the accepted proposals.
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