The Citizens’ Platform on Constitutional Reform has rejected government’s proposal to extend the presidential and parliamentary terms from four years to five years, while also opposing the presentation of more than 20 constitutional amendments as a single referendum question.
The coalition said the current four-year term should be retained, arguing that other reforms being considered would address some of the concerns that had been cited in support of extending the tenure of the President and Parliament.
The position forms part of 16 areas in which the Citizens’ Platform disagrees with government’s position on the recommendations of the Constitutional Review Committee.
Presenting the civil society coalition’s position in Accra, Professor Akosua K. Darkwah, Chairperson of the Citizens’ Platform, said the four-year presidential and parliamentary cycle remained appropriate.
The coalition said reforms relating to the election date, the transition period and restrictions on the powers of an outgoing administration could address concerns about the transition process without extending the tenure of elected officials.
It also argued that stronger limits on presidential power, greater institutional independence and improved accountability between the arms of government would make the existing four-year term sufficient.
The Platform’s second major concern relates to how proposed amendments to entrenched provisions will eventually be put before voters.
It is asking government not to bundle more than 20 different constitutional amendments into one referendum question requiring a single “yes” or “no” response.
According to the coalition, the proposals cover substantially different issues, meaning a voter could support one amendment while opposing another.
It therefore wants the amendments grouped into a manageable number of questions based on related subject areas, rather than combining unrelated proposals for convenience.
The Platform stressed that it was not necessarily calling for a separate ballot question for every individual amendment.
Instead, it wants voters to be presented with clear questions covering related issues so that their votes can accurately reflect their views.
The coalition is also demanding that the referendum questions be written in plain language to ensure that ordinary voters understand precisely what each proposed change would alter.
The coalition’s position comes as the government moves to implement recommendations from the Constitutional Review Committee, which submitted its final report in January 2026.
The Citizens’ Platform has said it supports several of the proposed reforms but wants areas of disagreement to be subjected to further national dialogue before amendment bills are finalised.
It is expected to engage government, Parliament, political parties and other stakeholders on its proposals as the constitutional reform process advances.