Mr Samuel Boateng, a political analyst, has described the proposed extension of presidential and parliamentary terms from four years to five years as a waste of time and an unnecessary burden on Ghana.
Speaking on Nyankonton Mu Nsem on Rainbow Radio 87.5FM, he stated that successive governments given the opportunity to rule the country have offered little beyond poor governance.
He argued that extending their tenure would only waste the nation’s time and resources, underscoring the need for the proposal to be rejected.
He maintained that any serious government capable of managing the affairs of state can do so even within a limited timeframe.
“The constitutional review committee was given a duty to make recommendations to help us review our constitution, and after their work, they have made this proposal, but we disagree. A five-year term is excessive and unnecessary. Any serious government capable of managing the affairs of state does not need five years in office and another term of five to succeed,” Samuel Boateng noted.
According to him, Ghanaians are wise enough to vote again for any government they believe is capable of delivering, regardless of the length of the term. He warned that if care is not taken, the country could end up extending the tenure of a government that performs poorly, leading to future regret.
“A political party seeking political office should have a vision, be serious, and avoid elections if they lack what it takes to run for office. You can give some ten years and they will mess up, while someone given lesser years would perform better. If we don’t take care, we may get an incompetent, wicked, and underperforming government we have to deal with for ten years. That would be suicidal,” he stated.
He further emphasised that the nation must maintain the four-year term and consistently vote underperforming leaders out of office, adding that Ghanaians naturally reward governments that perform with a second term.
On the proposed reduction of the presidential age requirement to below 40 years, Mr Boateng argued that the move is equally wrong. He posited that governance requires mature minds capable of running the affairs of state, suggesting that younger individuals could instead be appointed as ministers or into other roles.
“I disagree with the proposed age requirement because we need mature, experienced leadership to be elected into office as President. A 35-year-old person is not politically experienced, mature, or with the needed capacity to manage a country as President.
Electing a 35-year-old person as President would be a recipe for disaster. If care is not taken, we may elect an inexperienced person and reduce the presidency to an arena of jokes. Such persons would not even be respected,” he added.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana