Ghana Says Goodbye to Endless Campaigning: CRC Slashes Election Seasons to 120 Days
Ghana’s Constitutional Review Committee has put forward a set of wide‑ranging changes aimed at cutting down the high cost of elections, including setting a fixed period for campaigns and limiting how much parties and candidates can spend, saying long, open‑ended electioneering and unregulated money give an advantage to wealthy contestants, fuel vote buying and weaken citizens’ confidence in the process. The final recommendations, handed to President John Dramani Mahama on December 22, 2025, propose that campaigns be restricted to a set window before polls likely up to 120 days and that internal party primaries, campaign finances and spending limits be tightly controlled, with full disclosure and punishment for misuse of public resources. To oversee these changes, the CRC wants a new independent body called the Independent Registrar and Regulator of Political Parties and Campaigns that would handle party registration, check compliance, impose sanctions and run a Democracy Fund to help with policy work and support inclusion initiatives. President Mahama has welcomed the report and said a team will be set up in early 2026 to work on turning these ideas into constitutional changes, which backers say could make Ghana’s elections more affordable, open and fair for all participants.
