NPP's Yaw Buaben proposes longer than 8 years for presidential term

The Director of Communications of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Yaw Buaben Asamoa, has suggested that contrary to the practice that currently pertains, political parties should be allowed to rule longer.

He explained that the existing maximum eight years does not provide political parties with enough time to implement projects and bring the needed development to the country.

He added that this will allow the populace appreciate the policies and programs being implemented for them by the parties, reports graphic.com.gh.

According to him, the practice where governments are changed every eight years has not helped the country realize the benefits of the policies and programs of the changed governments.

By that, he is of the view that should they be retained longer, it could drastically change the country in terms of development.

Yaw Buaben Asamoa made this known during a press conference at the party’s head office in Accra last Tuesday.

He added that many countries in Europe and Asia had seen massive developments because they practiced retention of governments and changing only leadership and Ghana could reap from such practices.

“For us in the NPP, we believe a four-year term cannot bring out the best in any particular leader. After eight years of strong, decisive leadership by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, our constitution demands a change of leadership but we still believe policies may not have matured yet. So it is important to continue credible policies by changing the leader and retaining the party providing good governance under fresh leadership.

“Many sophisticated electoral democracies have multiple political parties and groupings but tend to maintain a particular one in authority for the benefits of policy consistency and continuity,” he said, citing the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) of Japan and the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) of Germany.

He continued that, “Arguably, in Ghana, four years is too short while beyond eight years is not feasible for the individual at the helm. But a change of leadership and retention of a party beyond eight years is necessary if policy reform is to be sustained and enhanced.”

Yaw Buaben Asamoa also stressed that the NPP is the party with the right ideologies, principles, respect for liberties and rights, and leadership ethos to take this country onto a path of true sustainability.