Constitution Review Committee proposes fixed 10-year term for EC bosses

The Constitution Review Committee (CRC) has proposed major changes to the way Ghana’s Electoral Commission (EC) is structured and led, in a bid to bolster its independence and credibility.

Under the recommendations, the Chairperson and Deputy Commissioners of the EC would serve a single, non-renewable term of 10 years, or until the age of 65, whichever comes first.

Outlining the proposals at the Jubilee House on Monday, 22 December, CRC Chair Professor Henry Kwasi Prempeh said the committee is seeking amendments to Article 223 of the 1992 Constitution to ring-fence the tenure of the Commission’s top officials.

“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 states.

The CRC argues that fixing a single term would remove any incentive for EC leadership to seek favour from political actors in anticipation of reappointment, helping them to discharge their mandate “without fear or favour”.

In addition to the fixed term, the committee has proposed a mandatory “cooling-off” period for departing EC bosses. For three years after leaving office, a former Chairperson or Deputy Commissioner would be barred from taking up any other public office.

According to the report, this restriction is designed to clearly separate election management from later political or governmental roles, and to reduce perceptions that EC positions could be used as a springboard into partisan appointments.

The EC proposals are part of a wider package of constitutional reforms put forward by the CRC, aimed at strengthening key democratic institutions, improving governance safeguards and reinforcing public trust in Ghana’s constitutional order.