Keypoints:
- Review links four-year terms to permanent campaign cycles
- Five-year term framed as governance reform, not tenure extension
- Wider proposals seek to rebalance presidential power
GHANA’S Constitution Review Commission has proposed a shift from the current four-year presidential term to a five-year cycle, arguing that constant campaigning has eroded the ability of presidents to govern effectively.
Ghana currently operates a four-year presidential term with a two-term limit under its 1992 Constitution.
The eight-member Constitutional Review Committee, appointed by John Dramani Mahama in January 2025, was tasked with identifying gaps in earlier constitutional reforms and proposing amendments to strengthen Ghana’s governance framework. The committee has now formally submitted its report to the President.
Presenting highlights from the Commission’s work on December 22, its chairman, H. Kwasi Prempeh, said Ghana’s political system has evolved into an almost continuous electoral contest, leaving little room for sustained policy delivery.
He told the gathering that Ghana effectively operates a ‘24-hour, 24/7’ campaign environment, where presidents are forced to balance governing with early preparations for re-election. The Commission, he said, examined alternative systems where campaigns are restricted to clearly defined periods, allowing elected leaders to focus on governance for longer stretches of their term.
The proposed five-year term, Prof Prempeh stressed, is intended to rebalance time between governing and campaigning rather than extend political tenure for its own sake.
Presidency weighed down by appointments
Beyond the length of the presidential term, the Commission identified the growing administrative burden placed on the presidency as a major constraint on effective governance.
Prof Prempeh said the president is currently ‘saddled with many appointments’, many of which distract from the core business of governing. The review recommends reducing the scope of presidential appointment powers, a move the Commission believes would allow the president to concentrate on strategic leadership rather than routine administrative oversight.
According to the Commission, the accumulation of appointment powers has contributed to an overcentralised executive, weakening institutional balance and accountability across government.
Reform without rushed decisions
The chairman said the Commission deliberately avoided forcing immediate resolutions on structurally complex issues, opting instead for staged reform processes supported by specialised institutions.
One such issue is the integration of traditional authorities into local governance. Chiefs, Prof Prempeh noted, continue to exercise significant influence at town and village level, where citizens experience governance most directly. Formal integration, however, would require what he described as a ‘radical transformation’.
Rather than impose solutions, the review proposes the establishment of a Devolution Commission to lead structured dialogue with the National and Regional Houses of Chiefs, alongside government, allowing reforms to emerge through consultation and consensus.
Legal and anti-corruption restructuring
The Commission also recommends redistributing powers currently concentrated in the office of the Attorney-General. Prof Prempeh said the Attorney-General is overstretched, balancing prosecutions with constitutional litigation, arbitration, and broader legal policy reform.
Under the proposals, corruption-related prosecutions would be transferred to a newly created commission, while existing institutions such as CHRAJ would focus exclusively on human rights and administrative justice.
The aim, he explained, is to create clearer institutional mandates and reduce governance bottlenecks that undermine accountability.
President signals implementation phase
Receiving the report, President Mahama praised the committee’s integrity and described the document as a ‘Christmas gift’, signalling strong political backing for the review process.
He said Ghana is entering a critical period in which democratic governance must be reinforced, particularly as several countries in the sub-region experience constitutional and democratic backsliding.
President Mahama confirmed that government will move from review to implementation early next year, with the establishment of an implementation committee. Some members of the Constitutional Review Committee are expected to be recalled to ensure continuity and preserve institutional memory.
While acknowledging that several proposals are ‘quite radical’, he argued they are necessary to protect Ghana’s democratic system and restore public confidence in governance.
The report is expected to be published publicly following a formal government decision, setting the stage for national debate on the future structure of Ghana’s presidency and constitutional order.
