The Constitutional Review Committee, chaired by Professor H. Kwasi Prempeh, has submitted its final report to President John Mahama on December 22 at the Presidency in Accra. A key recommendation in the report is to extend the presidential term from four to five years. This change aims to provide governments with more time to implement policies effectively by reducing the time lost to administrative transitions and campaigning, as it was noted that presidents typically spend about six months settling into office and nearly a year campaigning.
Importantly, the committee did not propose increasing the number of terms from two to three, citing a lack of public demand and political support for a third term. President Mahama described the report as a “Christmas gift,” calling some recommendations revolutionary and radical, and expressed his commitment to implementing as many as possible.
Additionally, to complement the proposed term extension, the committee suggested regulating campaign seasons to minimize prolonged political activity that could disrupt governance. The overall goal is to enhance governance efficiency and allow sufficient time for governments to focus on policy implementation without the distraction of continuous electioneering.
