The government has accepted proposals to reduce the size of Ghana's Electoral Commission but is resisting recommendations that would take away the President's authority to appoint its leadership.
The position forms part of the government's response to the Constitutional Review Committee's report and outlines a mixed approach to reforming one of the country's most important democratic institutions.
While officials agree the Commission should become smaller and adopt fixed terms of office, they insist the current constitutional arrangement for appointments remains appropriate.
Three-member commission gains support
The Constitutional Review Committee recommended amending Article 43 to reduce the Electoral Commission's composition from seven members to three, comprising one Electoral Commissioner and two Deputy Commissioners.
Government has accepted that proposal.
The move is expected to streamline the Commission's leadership structure without affecting its constitutional mandate to organise and supervise public elections and referenda.
The government has also endorsed, in principle, a fixed tenure for the Electoral Commissioner and Deputy Commissioners.
Under the proposal, they would serve a single, non-renewable term of 10 years or remain in office until reaching the age of 65, whichever comes first.
President to keep appointment authority
The government, however, has rejected the Committee's recommendation to transfer the recruitment and selection process to the Council of State through an open, competitive exercise managed by the Public Services Commission.
Instead, it wants to preserve the existing constitutional framework.
"The existing arrangement under Article 70(2), by which the President appoints the members of the Commission acting on the advice of the Council of State, should be maintained," the government's response stated.
At the same time, officials say presidents may voluntarily adopt a transparent and merit-based recruitment process, including publicly advertising vacancies before making appointments.
Government argues that the Council of State is not better placed than the President to oversee the recruitment of Electoral Commission leadership.
Cooling-off period rejected
Another recommendation that failed to win government support is the proposed three-year cooling-off period after commissioners leave office.
The government described the restriction as unnecessary, arguing it would unfairly prevent former commissioners from taking up other public appointments.
Officials also dismissed calls for a new constitutional procedure to remove Electoral Commission leaders from office.
According to the response, Article 146 of the Constitution already provides a comprehensive process involving petitions, preliminary assessments and hearings before a committee or tribunal.
Government believes the existing safeguards are sufficient and says any improvements can be introduced through legislation rather than constitutional amendments.
The proposals reflect the administration's broader effort to modernise Ghana's constitutional framework while preserving what it considers key features of the country's governance system.
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