Presidential Transition Team membership limited to 13

Members of Parliament have agreed to have only 13 persons serve on a transition team when an incumbent President is re-elected.

This is one of many recommended amendments reached by members of the Subsidiary Legislation and Constitutional and Legal affairs committees of parliament at a two day workshop.

On 16 March 2012, Ghana's Parliament approved the Presidential (Transition) Act, 2012 (Act 845) which provides for the appointment of a transitional team to manage the transfer of power after general elections in December.

His Excellency President John Dramani Mahama in accordance with the Presidential (Transition) Bill appointed a twenty-two (22) member Transition Team to manage the transition to a new administration.

The Transition Team was chaired by His Excellency Vice President Kwesi Amissah-Arthur.

A year after the law's passage, the Institute of Economic Affairs, which played a pioneering role, organised a programme last Saturday with some select committees of parliament to review aspects of the Presidential Transition Act 845 and propose amendments.

The committee has set the number of persons to be appointed to the Transition Team at thirteen.

It has also examined the role of the Administrator- General required by law to manage the Presidential Estates Unit during the transition process.

The Administrator-General is to be empowered to demand from government agencies and ministries, the state of government assets.

The committees maintained the 7th January date for the swearing-in of a president.

The committee will forward recommendations to Parliament for the House to take a decision.