NPP Rejects extension of Presidential Term

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has rejected the Constitutional Review Committee’s recommendation to extend Ghana’s presidential term from four years to five years, insisting that the existing four-year mandate should be maintained.

The party says the four-year presidential term provides an important mechanism for democratic accountability, allowing citizens to regularly assess the performance of elected governments and decide whether to renew or withdraw their mandate.

The NPP’s position differs from that of the government, which has accepted the proposed extension of the presidential and parliamentary terms from four years to five years. The government has argued that a longer term would give administrations more time to formulate, implement and assess policies.

The Constitutional Review Committee, chaired by Professor H. Kwasi Prempeh, included the five-year presidential term among its proposed constitutional reforms.

The NPP, however, maintains that challenges relating to policy implementation, transitions and the formation of government should be addressed through greater efficiency and timely decision-making rather than extending the presidential mandate.

By Agnes Kusi