Government approves November presidential polls and 30-day deadline for election petitions
The government has accepted recommendations by the Constitutional Review Committee (CRC) to move Ghana's presidential elections to the first week of November and introduce strict constitutional timelines for the filing and determination of presidential election petitions.
Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Dr Dominic Ayine, announced the proposals on Thursday while presenting the government's White Paper on the CRC's recommendations.
Under the proposed reforms, presidential elections will be held on a date in the first week of November to be determined by the Electoral Commission through a constitutional instrument.
Explaining the rationale behind the decision, Dr Ayine said the revised electoral calendar would provide greater certainty for stakeholders and allow adequate time between the elections and the swearing-in of a new president on January 7.
"We have also accepted that the presidential election be held on a day in the first week of November, as the Electoral Commission may specify by constitutional instrument. A fixed period gives certainty to the electoral calendar. It allows the commission, the parties, and observers to plan, and it ensures an adequate interval between the election and the inauguration of the incoming president on January 7," Dr Ayine said.
The government has also endorsed a recommendation to establish clear constitutional timelines for resolving presidential election disputes.
Under the proposal, any petition challenging the outcome of a presidential election must be filed within 14 days after the declaration of results, while the Supreme Court will be required to determine the matter within 30 days.
"In other words, the constitution will be amended to specifically provide for these timelines when it comes to electoral petitions to be filed," Dr Ayine said.
He further disclosed that the reforms would impose a constitutional obligation on the Electoral Commission to make all relevant electoral data available to both the court and the parties involved in any petition.
"There is going to be a constitutional obligation on the part of the Electoral Commission to disclose all relevant data to the court and to all the parties. We take this position because the timely resolution of election disputes inures well to the stability of our democratic transitions and to the general political stability of our country and society."
The proposed measures form part of a wider package of constitutional reforms intended to strengthen Ghana's democratic institutions and electoral governance. The recommendations will, however, have to undergo the required constitutional amendment process before they can take effect.