The government has accepted proposals that could lower the minimum age to contest for the presidency from 40 to 35 years while extending the terms of the President and Members of Parliament from four years to five years under Ghana’s ongoing constitutional review process.
Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Dr Dominic Ayine, announced the government’s position while presenting the White Paper on the recommendations of the Constitutional Review Committee (CRC).
The proposed reforms, if eventually approved through the constitutional amendment process, could broaden opportunities for younger Ghanaians to aspire to the country’s highest political office while also reshaping the country’s electoral cycle.
Government Supports Five-Year Presidential and Parliamentary Terms
Dr Ayine said the government had accepted the Committee’s recommendation to extend the tenure of the President from four years to five years, with Parliament’s term also extended to five years.
“The government has accepted a recommendation to extend the term of office of the president from four years to five years, with the term of Parliament extended to correspond with this,” he said.
According to him, the current four-year cycle leaves governments with limited time to effectively implement their programmes because the first few months are spent on transition activities, while the final year is largely dominated by election campaigns.
“Our thinking is practical. Under the current four-year cycle, the early months of every administration are consumed by transition matters, and the final year is largely consumed by elections.”
He explained that a five-year term would provide governments with a more realistic period to formulate, implement and assess policies before seeking another mandate from the electorate.
“A five-year term provides a more realistic time frame for the formulation, implementation and assessment of government policy.”
Minimum Presidential Age Proposed at 35
Dr Ayine also disclosed that the government had accepted, in principle, the Constitutional Review Committee’s recommendation to reduce the minimum age for presidential candidates.
However, while the Committee proposed lowering the age from 40 years to 30 years, the government opted for a minimum age of 35 years.
“Still under the presidency, the committee recommended that the minimum age of eligibility for election as president be reduced from 40 years, currently in the Constitution, to 30 years. The government has accepted this recommendation in principle, subject to one modification,” he said.
“The minimum age will be 35 years, not 30 years.”
Why It Matters to Students and Young People
The proposed reforms could significantly expand political opportunities for young Ghanaians. If approved, citizens aged 35 years and above would become eligible to contest for the presidency five years earlier than under the current Constitution.
The proposals could also influence Ghana’s electoral calendar by extending the terms of elected officials from four to five years, giving future governments a longer period to implement policies before facing the electorate again.
The recommendations form part of the government’s broader constitutional reform agenda and will undergo the required constitutional amendment procedures before they can take effect.
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