IEA rejects five-year presidential and parliamentary terms proposed in Ghana constitutional review

The Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) has dismissed a proposal to lengthen the terms of office for Ghana's President and Members of Parliament from four to five years. The policy research group made this stance clear in a statement released on September 2, 2026. According to the IEA, the current four-year term is adequate for an elected government to execute its agenda.

The proposal to adjust the term length was presented by the Constitution Review Committee, whose chairperson is Professor H. Kwasi Prempeh. The government initially endorsed the proposal, citing the potential benefits of a five-year tenure for policy planning, execution, and evaluation. However, the IEA disagreed with this assertion, stating that the four-year term was sufficient.

The IEA pointed out that the 1992 Constitution has already supported nine Parliaments, five Presidents, and four successful transitions of political power. They emphasized that any extension to the term length should be based on stronger evidence demonstrating that the current four-year mandate is insufficient. The think tank also acknowledged the necessity of constitutional reform due to institutional weaknesses and the concentration of power in the Executive branch.

The Constitution Review Committee, established by President John Dramani Mahama in 2025, conducted nationwide consultations with citizens and stakeholders before submitting its recommendations to the President in December 2025. The government subsequently formed an 11-member Constitution Review Implementation Committee, headed by Presidential Legal Counsel and former Attorney-General Marietta Brew Appiah-Oppong.

This committee was tasked with evaluating the government's position paper alongside the Prempeh Committee's report and devising a framework for implementing the accepted proposals.

The implementation committee is anticipated to convert the approved recommendations into constitutional amendment bills, legislation, institutional reforms, and other practical measures. The first batch of bills, focusing on non-entrenched provisions, is projected to be prepared for Parliament by November 2026. The proposal to extend the presidential and parliamentary terms remains a suggestion and would only become effective upon completing the prescribed constitutional amendment process.