Chartered legal practitioner and entrepreneur Victoria Bright has voiced opposition to the proposal to extend Ghana’s presidential term from four to five years, arguing that the country’s institutions are not yet robust enough to support such a change.
Speaking on Newsfile on JoyNews on Saturday, December 27, Ms Bright expressed concern that the proposed extension could exacerbate existing governance and accountability challenges.
The Constitution Review Committee (CRC), tasked with examining and recommending reforms to Ghana’s 1992 Constitution, recently presented its final report to President John Dramani Mahama. Among its key recommendations is extending the presidential term from four to five years, alongside proposals such as lowering the presidential age threshold.
Ms Bright stressed that Ghana’s political and legal institutions are not yet equipped to effectively support a longer presidency.
“I believe that we should keep the four-year term for both the MPs and the president,” she said.
“Simply because our institutions are not yet strengthened enough to allow a president to go on for five years. If we had stronger institutions, if corruption were not systemic, then I may have held a different view. But looking at where we are at the moment and looking at the institutions that we have and how they operate, I don’t think it is wise to extend the presidential term.”
She noted that despite efforts to tackle corruption and ensure transparency, there remain significant challenges in holding public officials accountable. Ms Bright highlighted that there are often “little or no consequences” for those found in violation of anti-corruption laws.
Given this context, she argued that extending the presidential term could lead to potential misuse of power and further entrench inefficiencies within government.
According to Ms Bright, the lack of accountability in the current system is a major factor in her opposition to the presidential term extension.
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