Proposed five-year presidential term needs evidence of necessity – LSN President

The Law Students’ Network (LSN) has questioned the Government’s decision to accept a proposal to extend Ghana’s presidential term from four to five years, while describing its proposed model for electing District Chief Executives (DCEs) as a “fundamental democratic contradiction.”

The network’s President, Mr Abraham Kwaku Gyasi, outlined the concerns at a roundtable organised by the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) at the IEA Dialogue Centre in Accra on Tuesday, October 13.

The forum examined the report of the Constitution Review Committee (CRC), chaired by Professor H. Kwasi Prempeh, and the Government’s Position Paper on constitutional reform.

In its Position Paper issued on July 28, 2026, the Government accepted a recommendation to extend the presidential term under Article 66(1) of the 1992 Constitution from four to five years, arguing that governments need sufficient time to implement policies.

The LSN acknowledged that the argument deserved consideration, as frequent election cycles could encourage short-term decision-making. However, it maintained that extending a presidential term would not necessarily improve governance.

“Institutional inefficiencies, corruption, weak planning, ineffective public administration and poor accountability cannot be resolved merely by adding another year to a presidential mandate,” the network stated.

It also noted that the IEA had publicly questioned the evidence supporting the proposed extension.

According to the LSN, proponents of the amendment must demonstrate its necessity through convincing institutional and empirical evidence. It warned that, without complementary reforms to strengthen accountability, limit appointment powers and improve parliamentary oversight, a longer presidential term could prolong existing structural weaknesses.

The network also criticised the Government’s proposed arrangement for electing DCEs, under which the President would nominate candidates before they were shortlisted for election.

Although the Government accepts the principle of electing DCEs, the LSN argued that retaining substantial presidential control over candidate selection would undermine the objective of strengthening local accountability.

“Local democracy requires more than allowing citizens to vote among candidates selected through an executive-controlled process,” it said, citing Article 240 of the Constitution on decentralisation. The network also noted that the IEA had called for open competition in local elections.

The LSN further criticised the Government’s rejection of the CRC’s proposals concerning the appointment of the Chief Justice and Justices of the Superior Courts, arguing that the appointment process was closely linked to the constitutional guarantee of judicial independence under Article 127.

It also questioned the Government’s alternative to the proposed ban on Members of Parliament serving as Ministers. Under the alternative, the requirement that a majority of Ministers be appointed from Parliament would be removed, but the President would still be permitted to appoint MPs to ministerial positions.

The network argued that the arrangement would not eliminate concerns about divided loyalties arising when legislators also serve in the Executive.

Despite its criticisms, the LSN acknowledged the Government’s acceptance of other proposed reforms, including the establishment of an Independent Public Emoluments Commission and the abolition of the death penalty.

Other panellists at the roundtable were Mr Titus Owusu Darko, Secretary for Innovation and Entrepreneurship of the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS), and Mr Sharif Ghali, President of the Ghana Youth Federation (GYF).

Former Speaker of Parliament and IEA Distinguished Fellow, Rt Hon. Prof. Aaron Mike Oquaye, delivered the opening and closing remarks, while Dr William Kofi Osew moderated the discussion.