Barker-Vormawor: Five-year presidential term must be decided by referendum

Oliver Barker-Vormawor, Constitutional Rights and Policy Strategy Advisor at Democracy Hub, has criticized the Constitution Review Committee (CRC) for placing the proposal to extend the presidential term to five years under the semi-entrenched provisions of their recommendations.

Speaking on Channel One TV’s Point of View on Wednesday, January 7, Barker-Vormawor noted that the issue is too fundamental to be left solely in Parliament’s hands.He argued that it should instead be subjected to a national referendum to allow Ghanaians to directly decide.

Barker-Vormawor explained that under the CRC’s framework, constitutional provisions are divided into entrenched, which require a referendum, and semi-entrenched, which can be amended by Parliament with a supermajority.

While he acknowledged that this categorization is intended to simplify the amendment process, he argued that the presidential term is a core aspect of Ghana’s democracy and should not be decided without direct public input.

“I disagree with the committee. I think it is one of the questions that should go to a referendum. It is one of the questions that they put into the semi-entrenched that goes to parliament. I think this is a question that people should speak on.

“They have put the two-term under the referendum question, so anything that concerns the length of term should go together,” he said.

He further warned that failing to involve citizens in such critical decisions could undermine public confidence in the constitutional review process and weaken trust in reforms meant to strengthen democratic governance.