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President for life

Presidency with no term limit

Presidency with no term limit

President for life is a title assumed by or granted to some presidents to extend their tenure up until their death or retirement. The title sometimes confers on the holder the right to nominate or appoint a successor. The term is often used by political leaders that aspire to legitimize their absolute power.

Overview

A president for life may be regarded as a de facto autocrat.

Many leaders who proclaimed themselves president for life have not in fact successfully gone on to serve a life term. Most were deposed before they died, and others achieved a lifetime presidency by being assassinated while in office. However, some have managed to rule until their natural deaths, including José Gaspar Rodríguez de Francia of Paraguay, Alexandre Pétion and François Duvalier of Haiti, Rafael Carrera of Guatemala, Josip Broz Tito of Yugoslavia, and Saparmurat Niyazov of Turkmenistan. Others made unsuccessful attempts to have themselves named president for life, such as Mobutu Sese Seko of Zaire in 1972.

Some long-serving autocratic presidents are mistakenly described as presidents for life. They were never officially granted life terms and, in fact, stood periodically for reelection. However, in most cases, these were sham elections which guaranteed them re-election.

References

References

  1. (20 June 2019). "The Politics of Presidential Term Limits". Oxford University Press.
  2. (26 February 2018). "'Dictator for life': Xi Jinping's power grab condemned as step towards tyranny". The Guardian.
  3. (26 February 2018). "Xi Jinping Reveals Himself as an Autocrat".
  4. Crawford Young and Thomas Turner, ''The Rise and Decline of the Zairian State'', p. 211
  5. Snyder, Timothy. (3 April 2018). "The Road to Unfreedom: Russia, Europe, America". Crown.
  6. Chivers, C.J.. (February 8, 2008). "European Group Cancels Mission to Observe Russian Election, Citing Restrictions". The New York Times.
  7. Kara-Murza, Vladimir Vladimirovich. "As the Kremlin Tightens the Screws, It Invites Popular Revolt". World Affairs Journal.
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