A research fellow at the Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), Dr John Osae-Kwapong, has urged President John Dramani Mahama not to allow ongoing discussions about a possible third presidential term to overshadow what he described as an opportunity to build a lasting legacy.
Speaking on The Big Issue on Channel One TV on Saturday, July 11, Dr Osae-Kwapong said President Mahama’s return to office after previous electoral defeats presented him with a unique opportunity for political redemption.
He, however, cautioned that debates over extending presidential tenure should not become the defining issue of the President’s time in office.
“I don’t think this is even the note on which he wants to end his redemption story of having lost two elections, come back, being given the chance to leave us with a good legacy,” he said.
“So no matter the temptations, let me end on this note.”
His comments come amid renewed public debate over whether President Mahama could constitutionally seek another term after serving two separate terms in office.
The discussion follows a case before the Supreme Court in which two citizens are seeking an interpretation of Article 66 of the 1992 Constitution, which provides that a person shall not be elected as President for more than two terms.
Dr Osae-Kwapong argued that a leader’s popularity or achievements should not be used as justification to revisit constitutional term limits.
“If being a good president is the reason why we must ask the court to think about whether two terms actually means two terms different times or consecutively, then what should President Kufuor have done then?” he asked.
He cited former President John Kufuor’s tenure, arguing that despite receiving strong public approval ratings at the end of his second term, he did not seek to challenge the constitutional limit.
“Because if you think of the state of the country in 2008, and if you think of the fact that in the history of Afrobarometer, no year has received such great ratings about governance, government performance, all of that, then President Kufuor could have easily said, ‘I’ve done a good job.’ Ghanaians have even said it. Let’s ask the courts to try and see if maybe two terms don’t mean, or it means something else. But he didn’t.”
The political scientist said presidential term limits exist to strengthen democratic governance and ensure that leaders leave office regardless of their performance.
“For me, the African problem is not one of how many years you get to serve in office, regardless of the good work or otherwise that you do,” he said.
“The term limit for me is a protection against allowing a good president to exit when the applause is loudest, but also to allow a bad president to exit so they don’t cause any more injury to citizens.”
Dr Osae-Kwapong warned that Ghana must avoid constitutional changes or interpretations aimed at extending presidential tenure, pointing to examples from other African countries.
“Our neighbours who have been doing constitutional fidgeting, the story makes it very clear that this is not a path we want to go down on,” he said.
