Government backs five-year presidential and parliamentary terms in major constitutional reform

Government backs five-year presidential and parliamentary terms, Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Dr Dominic Ayine, has announced as part of the government’s response to the Constitution Review Committee’s (CRC) recommendations to amend the 1992 Constitution.

Speaking at a press briefing on Thursday, July 30, Dr Ayine said the government has accepted the committee’s recommendation to extend the tenure of the President from four years to five years. It has also accepted in principle a corresponding extension of Parliament’s term from four years to five years.

According to the Attorney-General, the government believes the current four-year constitutional term does not provide sufficient time for administrations to effectively formulate, implement and assess national policies.

He explained that the first few months of every administration are usually dedicated to the transition process, while the final year is largely occupied by election-related activities, leaving a relatively short period for governance.

“A longer term provides a more realistic timeframe for the formulation, implementation, and assessment of government policy. The current four-year cycle limits the period available for governance, as the early months of each administration are consumed by transition, while the final year is largely focused on the elections,” the government’s Position Paper stated.

Dr Ayine said the proposed five-year term would give both the President and Members of Parliament greater opportunity to deliver on their mandates and implement development programmes without the constraints imposed by the existing electoral cycle.

On Parliament, the government also accepted in principle the recommendation to extend the tenure of Members of Parliament to five years to align with the proposed presidential term. It further endorsed amending the Constitution to explicitly provide that parliamentary and presidential elections be held on the same day, although this is already the practice.

The proposal forms part of a broader package of constitutional reforms being considered by the government following the submission of the Constitution Review Committee’s report. The recommendations will have to go through the constitutional amendment process before they can take effect.

CRC Report_Government Position Paper (Clean) TheIncomingLawyer Media share