The government has accepted a recommendation by the Constitutional Review Committee to extend the tenure of the President and Members of Parliament from four years to five years, arguing that the current constitutional cycle does not provide enough time for governments to effectively implement their programmes.

Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Dr Dominic Ayine, announced the government's position at a press conference at the Presidency on Thursday, July 30, shortly after the Constitutional Review Committee presented its final report to President John Dramani Mahama at the Jubilee House.

According to Dr Ayine, the government believes a five-year mandate would provide a more practical timeframe for policy formulation, implementation and evaluation, while reducing the impact of the country's frequent election cycle on governance.

He explained that under the existing four-year term, a significant portion of every administration is spent on transition and election-related activities, leaving limited time to deliver on campaign promises.

"The government has accepted the recommendation to extend the term of office of the president from four years to five years with the term of parliament extended to correspond with this. Our thinking is practical. Under the current four-year cycle, the early months of every administration are consumed by transition and the final year is consumed by election. A five-year term provides a more realistic timeframe for the formulation, implementation and the assessment of every government," Dr Ayine said.

The proposal forms part of a broader package of constitutional reforms contained in the final report of the Constitutional Review Committee, chaired by Professor H. Kwasi Prempeh.

The report, presented to President Mahama on Thursday, contains recommendations aimed at reviewing Ghana's 1992 Constitution, including proposals affecting governance structures, the powers of state institutions and the tenure of elected office holders.