The Constitution Review Committee (CRC) has proposed major constitutional reforms aimed at strengthening the independence and professionalism of Ghana’s Electoral Commission (EC) by fixing the tenure of its leadership and limiting their post-service political engagement.
Under the proposed changes, the CRC is recommending amendments to Article 223 of the 1992 Constitution to introduce a single, non-renewable 10-year term for the EC Chairperson and Deputy Commissioners, or until they reach the mandatory retirement age of 65 years, whichever comes first.
According to the Committee, the move is intended to protect the leadership of the Electoral Commission from political pressure linked to reappointment, allowing them to perform their constitutional duties impartially and without fear or favour.
Presenting its report to President John Dramani Mahama on Monday, December 22, the CRC explained that the current tenure structure creates the potential for political influence over election management.
“The Committee recommends an amendment to Article 223 to provide that the Commissioner and each of the Deputy Commissioners of the Commission shall hold office for a single, non-renewable term of ten (10) years or until he or she attains the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier,” the report stated.
In addition to the one-term limit, the CRC is also proposing a mandatory three-year cooling-off period for former EC Chairpersons and Deputy Commissioners. During this period, former officials would be barred from holding any other public office after leaving the Commission.
“A person who has held the office of Commissioner or Deputy Commissioner shall, upon retiring or resigning from the position, be ineligible for appointment to any other public office until after a three-year cooling-off period,” the report added.
