A former Deputy Attorney-General, Mr. Joseph Kpemka has argued that there is no form of ambiguity in Article 66 clause (1) of the 1992 Constitution.
According to Mr. Kpemka, the above-cited constitutional provision clearly specifies who qualifies to be president.
His assertion was in reaction to a suit filed by the Editor- in- Chief of the Daily Searchlight newspaper, Mr. Ken Kurankye who is seeking an interpretation of Article 66. Mr. Kurankye contends that upon a proper interpretation of the constitutional provision, the only person who qualifies for two four-year terms is a sitting President.
Mr. Kpemka however noted in an interview with Alfred Ocansey on TV3’s Ghana Tonight, on 13th June, 2023 that, “Ken seeks to know if the 8 years should be consecutive or not, which the Constitution is clear on, that not to be more than 8 years. So, if you have been a president for less than 8 years, then you qualify.”
He added that, “The Constitution is so clear on it. An example is the late President Mills’ case where former President John Mahama had the chance to rule as a President still within Mills tenure for 6 months, then stood and served for 4 years. But if President Mills had served for only one and a half years then President John Mahama’s 4-year term as a President would have ended his chance to be eligible and barred him from contesting in any elections as a president.” According to Mr. Kpemka, the Supreme Court has the mandate to interpret the law which will bring finality to this particular issue since it has come up a number of times.
It would be recalled that on Monday, June 12, 2023, the Editor- In- Chief of the Daily Searchlight, Mr. Ken Kurankye sued former President John Dramani Mahama over his eligibility to contest in the 2024 elections.
Mr. Ken Korankye, is seeking a declaration that upon a true and proper interpretation of Article 66(1) of the 1992 Constitution, Mr. John Mahama is not qualified to contest in the 2024 presidential election. 3news.com