Former Member of Parliament for Tamale Central, Inusah Fuseini, has questioned the need to extend Ghana’s presidential term from four to five years, arguing that President John Dramani Mahama’s performance demonstrates that effective governance is possible within the existing constitutional framework.
Mr Fuseini made the remarks on Newsfile on JoyNews on Saturday, December 27, while commenting on proposals by the Constitution Review Committee (CRC) to amend aspects of the 1992 Constitution.
His comments follow the submission of the CRC’s report to President Mahama on Monday, December 22, a major milestone in Ghana’s ongoing constitutional review process. Among the key proposals in the report are the separation of the legislature from the executive, a reaffirmation that the Constitution does not permit a third presidential term, and an extension of the presidential term of office.
While acknowledging the work of the CRC, Mr Fuseini said he remains unconvinced about the need for a longer presidential term, noting that the idea has resurfaced periodically in Ghana’s political discourse.
“I have reservations. My first reservation is that I am not entirely convinced that we need to extend the term of the presidency,” he said.
He traced the origins of the proposal to January 5, 2009, when former President John Agyekum Kufuor, in his final State of the Nation Address, cited examples from Singapore and Malaysia to argue that longer terms of governance may have contributed to their development.
“This suggestion is not new. The first time it entered our national discourse was on 5 January 2009, when His Excellency John Agyekum Kufuor delivered his final State of the Nation Address to Parliament. He cited Singapore and Malaysia and the duration of governance that probably aided the growth and development of their countries,” Mr Fuseini said.
According to him, Ghana’s four-year term already provides adequate time for accountability and policy delivery, pointing to President Mahama’s current administration as evidence.
“And John Dramani Mahama has demonstrated that, clearly in this term of his presidency,” he said.
“He has shown that you can set up your government in less than three months and get it running. In fact, he has also shown that you can achieve significant success in the first year of government. That goes to dispel what President Kufuor said in 2009.”
Mr Fuseini maintained that the President’s performance so far weakens the argument for extending the presidential term, stressing that decisive leadership and measurable progress can be achieved within the existing four-year mandate.
The CRC presented a summary of its findings to the President, with the full and final report expected to be made public in January.
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