A Broadcast Journalist with Theovision Radio Network (Nkunim FM), Kofi Atakora, has called on the Legislature and Electoral Commission to use the crises in the World (COVID-19) to consider the extension of the term in office of the President and Parliamentarians from the current four to five years in Ghana.
He noted that, if Government and the electoral commission proceed to conduct presidential and parliamentary elections on December 7, the attention on the fight to avert the spread of the deadly disease will be diverted into active politics and warned that more people will die and more will contract the disease if the ban on political activities is lifted.
Commenting on efforts by government and political parties to join the campaign to stop the spread of the Novel COVID, Kofi Atakora noted that both the NPP and NDC are pulling resources and spending huge money to support the government fight the deadly disease because it is an election year and they all want to favor and acknowledgment from electorates.
Kofi Atakora, who doubles as Morning show host, news editor, and a presenter warned that if Government proceeds to release fund for the electoral commission to compile new Voters register at this Pandemic COVID -19 era as Ghana’s Economy is broking, Ghanaians will be annoyed and will not participate in the election, adding, the Compilation of new register is good per the electoral commission’s explanation, but the timing is a treat to the Country and the ruling party.
The Political Show host revealed that the zeal in the fight against COVID -19 will drastically be reduced if elections are held on December 7 and Ghana’s COVID will be Pandemic with more cases and deaths.
He called on Parliamentarians as matter of urgency to find ways of amending the 1992 Constitution which states in Chapter eight 66 (1) that “A person elected as President shall, subject to clause (3) of this article, hold office for a term of four years beginning from the date on which he is sworn in as President” to five years.
He said if there is the need for Referendum, Electoral Commission should meet Parliamentarians immediately and use old Register for such exercise to extend the term of office for Parliamentarians and the president.
In May 2019, Former President, John Mahama has endorsed suggestions for the extension of the term in office of President from the current four to five years.
The idea of the extension was first made by former President John Kufuor after exiting office in 2009.
Delivering a Lecture on Democracy and Elections in Contemporary Africa at the Said Business School in London, Mr. Mahama said it takes almost two years for the leader to get things running smoothly after elections thereby cutting to only two years the implementation period for projects outlined for transformation.
“I agree with President Kufuor I think a five-year term is better, the first year, when you are elected, you are forming your government and before you’ve settled in you are in your second year, the third year, the fourth year you’re fighting an election. So essentially you have just two years to work and it makes it difficult.”
Source: Mybrytfmonline/Kofi Atakora
