By Sarah Baafi
The Constitution Review Committee, chaired by Professor H. Kwasi Prempeh, has recommended that Ghana’s presidential elections be held in the first week of November instead of December in election years.
Presenting its final report to President John Mahama at the Jubilee House on Monday, December 22, the committee said the change would give the country a longer and smoother transition period.
In the report, the committee proposes an amendment to Article 63(2)(a) of the 1992 Constitution to state that the presidential poll “shall be held on such date in the first week of the month of November in an election year as the Electoral Commission shall, by constitutional instrument, specify.”
It explained that adopting this recommendation would extend the time between the declaration of election results and the swearing-in of a new President from one month to two months, allowing more room to resolve disputes and prepare for handover.
According to the committee, the longer transition will help reduce last-minute tensions, improve administrative planning, and ensure that an incoming government has adequate time to organise its team before assuming office.
The proposal forms part of a broader package of reforms aimed at strengthening Ghana’s democratic processes and making the governance system more effective and predictable.
