Gov't accepts dual citizenship for public office holders, exempts President and Vice President

The Ghanaian government has endorsed a recommendation to permit dual citizens to hold public office, excluding the President and Vice President. This decision, detailed in the government's White Paper on the Constitutional Review Committee's (CRC) recommendations, will eliminate the existing constitutional stipulation that Ghanaian citizens by birth must renounce their foreign citizenship to run for parliamentary seats.

Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Dr. Dominic Ayine, presented the White Paper in Accra, stating that current restrictions on dual citizens are incongruent with Ghana's engagement with its diaspora and the evolving nature of modern citizenship. Under the new policy, a Ghanaian citizen by birth who also holds another nationality will no longer be disqualified from parliamentary candidacy solely based on their dual status, nor will they need to renounce their other citizenship.

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The current disqualification sits uneasily with our engagement with the diaspora and with the realities of modern citizenship.

"The current disqualification sits uneasily with our engagement with the diaspora and with the realities of modern citizenship," Dr. Ayine remarked. Beyond parliamentary roles, the government also supports removing dual citizenship as a disqualifying factor for several other high-ranking public positions. If enacted, dual citizens could serve as Chief Justice, Speaker of Parliament, and Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, provided they meet all other constitutional prerequisites.

"Multiple citizenship will no longer disqualify a person from holding certain offices except that of President and Vice President of the Republic," Dr. Ayine clarified. "So, the fact that you have multiple citizenship will not bar you from becoming Chief Justice of the Republic, or becoming the head of the Electoral Commission, or, for instance, becoming Speaker of Parliament." The offices of President and Vice President, however, will remain exclusively for individuals holding only Ghanaian citizenship. These proposed changes are part of broader constitutional reforms intended to modernize Ghana's governance framework and foster greater democratic participation, but they must undergo the necessary constitutional amendment processes before becoming effective.

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Multiple citizenship will no longer disqualify a person from holding certain offices except that of President and Vice President of the Republic. So, the fact that you have multiple citizenship will not bar you from becoming Chief Justice of the Republic, or becoming the head of the Electoral Commission, or, for instance, becoming Speaker of Parliament.