Five-year presidential term means extra year to amass wealth, loot state coffers — Ansa-Asare

Kwaku Ansa-Asare, a former Director of the Ghana School of Law, has expressed skepticism about the desire to lower the minimum age for presidential candidates from 40 to 30. He contends that there is no urgent need to change the current constitutional age requirement. While he supports encouraging young Ghanaians to engage in politics, Ansa-Asare argues that reducing the presidential eligibility age should not be the primary method to achieve higher youth participation.

He urged political leaders to respect the existing constitutional framework and cautioned against the frequent attempts to modify the Constitution. According to Ansa-Asare, "Let the constitution work. We have had 40 years for many years. It has served us well. What is this rush in trying to lower the age to 30, when we cannot even do anything?"

The suggestion to lower the presidential age comes from the Constitutional Review Committee, which also proposes extending the terms of both the presidency and parliament from four years to five years. The government has opted for a 35-year eligibility age, accepting the principle of a lower age limit. The committee's broader recommendations also include extending the terms of both the presidency and parliament.

Ansa-Asare emphasized that his stance does not mean he is against youth involvement in Ghana's political scene. He stated, "I’m not saying that we shouldn’t think of encouraging the youth to participate, you know, in the political activities of the country." He made these remarks during an interview on Citi FM’s Eyewitness News on September 17.

Ansa-Asare also cautioned against amendments to the Constitution that do not address what he sees as more pressing national issues, advocating for a measured approach to the ongoing reform process.