Presidential term limit appropriate – President Akufo-Addo

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has indicated that he is in favour of the current existing Presidential term limit.
He said this was not only appropriate for the country’s nascent democracy but that it also injected fresh ideas into the governance system of the country.

“It promotes stability of our democracy; speaking personally, I support the idea of term limit for Presidents — it prevents abuse of office and coups d’état,” he said.

In an interview with Kumasi-based Ashh FM last Saturday as part of his tour of the Ashanti Region, President Akufo-Addo said the country had been enjoying political stability since 1992 because the people had the opportunity every four years to use the ballot box to decide whether to change a government or maintain it in office.

“Using the ballot box has contributed to the stability of our country. People believe that if a leader is not doing well, they can vote against that leader in four years’ time. We don’t need a coup d’etat to change someone,” he added.

Following military takeovers in Mali and Guinea, the President said, ECOWAS, of which he is the Chairman, had started reviewing its protocols to strengthen the growth and consolidation of democracy in the subregion.

“To be honest, I am not speaking (now) as Chairman of ECOWAS; however, I support the idea…. I feel the ECOWAS protocol on good governance should outlaw the third-term mandate in any country. I feel strongly that it is something that we ought to do to prevent what is happening in Guinea and elsewhere,” he said.

No justification for coups

When asked why the regional bloc looked on while President Alpha Conde changed the constitution of that country to extend his tenure, President Akufo-Addo said: “There are varied reasons for the military intervention, but there is no justification for a coup d’etat.”

According to him, “we are opposed in principle to any intervention by the military in the political life of a country. The population is capable of resolving its problems through the ballot box”.