GhArticles.com Every News in Detail
Deputy Presidential Spokesperson, Shamima Muslim, has called for a national discussion on the duration of Ghana’s presidential term, arguing that the current four-year mandate is too short for any government to deliver substantial and lasting development.
Speaking in an interview with TV3, Ms. Muslim said the short political cycle contributes to instability, wasteful election spending, and a lack of long-term planning. She described the situation as counterproductive to Ghana’s growth ambitions.
“It is true that the four-year term is wholly insufficient if we are truly to change the path and trajectory of our development. Expensive elections that begin and start upon the end of another election don’t look like a practical way of managing your very scarce resources,” she stated.
She further explained that successive governments often lose valuable time adjusting to office rather than focusing on delivering results. “Year one is literally spent making appointments. By year two, even in year one, people are already talking about who leads which political party and who takes over from which political party,” she observed.
Ms. Muslim noted that frequent elections deplete national resources that could otherwise be used for development projects. While she acknowledged public concerns about potential abuse of power if presidential terms are extended, she proposed creative constitutional reforms that could allow continuity without undermining accountability.
“Even if we do not want to extend the term limits, we must look at the possibility of allowing multiple terms for political party candidates. Once a political party elects someone to lead, that person should be able to go more than two terms if the people themselves see that we are on a certain transformative path that requires continuation,” she said.
She added that voter choice would remain the ultimate safeguard, ensuring leaders are held accountable. “If we have a bad president, we are not stuck with them. You simply don’t vote for that person for a second term,” she explained.
Ms. Muslim also suggested that giving political parties more flexibility in retaining effective leaders could provide governments with a 12- to 15-year window to achieve consistent development outcomes. However, she cautioned that extended time in office does not automatically guarantee good governance, stressing the role of citizens in demanding accountability.
“Longevity doesn’t always guarantee good leadership. It is the people who will make the difference,” she said.
Concluding her remarks, Ms. Muslim urged policymakers to take advantage of the ongoing constitutional review process to reexamine Ghana’s governance framework. “Possibly, the Constitutional Review Committee will give us what we need to have this conversation because it would be detrimental to the country if we don’t,” she emphasized.
