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Ghana approves five-year presidential term, lowers minimum age to 35
Ghana's government on Thursday, July 30, has approved proposals to extend the presidential term from four to five years and introduce broader constitutional reforms following a review of the 1992 Constitution.
The government accepted the recommendation after reviewing proposals submitted by a constitutional review committee established by President John Dramani Mahama last year.
It also approved a proposal to extend Parliament's term to match the new five-year presidential tenure.
The government said the longer term would give administrations more time to implement their programmes because elections and government transitions consume a significant portion of a four-year mandate.
The government also accepted a recommendation to reduce the minimum age for presidential candidates from 40 to 35 years, instead of the proposed reduction to 30 years.
It further approved a proposal to hold presidential elections during the first week of November to provide sufficient time between voting and the January 7 presidential inauguration.
The proposed legislation on presidential term limits must pass through several legislative stages before being presented in a national referendum in 2027.
For the amendment to be adopted, at least 40 percent of registered voters must participate in the referendum, with a minimum of 75 percent voting in favour of the constitutional change.
