One-off 5-year presidency best for Ghana - David Dontoh

Veteran actor David Dontoh has said conditions prevailing in Ghana demand a one-off presidential term of five years, instead of the current maximum two-term limit of four years each, if Ghana is to progress rapidly.

According to the multiple award-winning actor, it is difficult for presidents to execute policies and take critical decisions for fear of losing a second term.

Speaking on the Executive Breakfast Show (EBS) on Class91.3FM on Wednesday 17 May, he said: “When a leader has a caveat of coming back after serving a term of office, all he has to do is not to step on toes so that he can come back a second time.

“Now if you are given that caveat, it’s so difficult for you to really do what you want to do or what you have to do. And so for me, I buy into former President Kufuor’s idea of a one five-year term. You come one term, you know that in one term, you must do anything and everything that you want to do because you’re not coming back. The people will be forced to execute the real role of the executive president that we have. Other than that we will always be going round in circles…”

Just before leaving office in 2009, former President John Agyekum Kufuor suggested an extension of the four-year presidential term by a year.

He argued: “If we have a five-year term, the third year will see to the maturing of policies and laws, the fourth year will see the good policies that will serve the nation. By the fifth year when people are canvassing for power, the good works can be judged by all.”

A former presidential candidate of the Convention People’s Party (CPP), Dr Abu Sakara Foster, has also suggested Ghana switch to a one-off presidential term of six years and do away with the current regime of four years renewable for another four.

According to the agronomist, governments tend to implement short-term goals which do not inure to the benefit of the country because of the four-year terms they have to govern. But a six-year term, in his opinion, is long enough to implement long-term goals, which Ghana needs to progress as a country.