Dr. Richard Fiadomor, a governance expert, has lauded the Constitution Review Committee’s (CRC) proposal to lower the age requirement for presidential candidates from 40 to 30 years.
However, he criticised them for failing to place a cap at a certain age, which in his view, would have limited aged persons from seeking the office.
He noted that old age comes with its limitations, and because of that, persons who are too old should not be allowed to become presidents.
According to him, there are examples across other countries where some leaders who are old and fragile are still holding onto power.
Dr. Fiadomor stated that the office of President comes with its demands, and persons seeking that office must possess not only the technical knowledge but also good health and strong mental well-being.
Speaking in an interview on Nyankonton Mu Nsem on Rainbow Radio 87.5FM, he said although the age requirement for the position has been reduced, the Committee should have been bold in placing a cap at a certain age to prevent a certain category of people from contesting.
“The proposals at the CRC are good, but dropping the age requirement for the presidency doesn’t actually change much. If they are proposing an age of entry, we should also be talking about an age of exit. We all saw what happened in this country when we had an 80-year-old president.
You simply can’t ignore the biological clock. In Cameroon, you have people at 90 or 100 still wanting to be President, but at that age, the body is fragile. It’s not that you aren’t competent; it’s just that your body won’t allow you to function properly. I don’t have a problem with the age of 30, but it doesn’t mean you automatically become president. A 30-year-old might have a chance as an independent candidate, but most political parties still won’t choose someone that young to lead.”
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
