President for life

President for life is a title assumed by or granted to some leaders to remove their term limit irrevocably as a way of removing future challenges to their authority and legitimacy. The title sometimes confers on the holder the right to nominate or appoint a successor. The usage of the title of "president for life" rather than a traditionally autocratic title, such as that of a monarch, implies the subversion of liberal democracy by the titleholder (although republics need not be democratic per se). Indeed, sometimes a president for life can proceed to establish a self-proclaimed monarchy, such as Jean-Jacques Dessalines and Henry Christophe in Haiti.

Similarity to a monarch

A president for life may be regarded as a de facto monarch. In fact, other than the title, political scientists often face difficulties in differentiating a state ruled by a president for life (especially one who inherits the job from a family dictatorship) and a monarchy.

Most leaders who have proclaimed themselves president for life have not in fact gone on to successfully serve a life term. Most have been deposed long before their death while others truly fulfill their title by being assassinated while in office. However, some, such as José Gaspar Rodríguez de Francia, Alexandre Pétion, Rafael Carrera, François Duvalier, Josip Broz Tito and Saparmurat Niyazov, have managed to rule until their (natural) deaths. Others made unsuccessful attempts to have themselves named president for life, such as Mobutu Sese Seko in 1972.[1]

Most notable

Julius Caesar

One of the most well-known incidents of a republican leader extending his term indefinitely was Roman dictator Julius Caesar, who made himself "Perpetual Dictator" in 45 BC. Traditionally, the office of dictator could only be held for six months, and although he was not the first Roman dictator to be given the office with no term limit, it was Caesar's dictatorship that inspired the string of Roman emperors who ruled after his assassination.

Napoleon Bonaparte

Caesar's actions would later be copied by the French Consul Napoleon Bonaparte, who was appointed "First Consul for life" in 1802 before elevating himself to the rank of Emperor two years later. Since then, many dictators have adopted similar titles, either on their own authority or having it granted to them by rubber stamp legislatures.

China

According to the current Constitution of the People's Republic of China, the President and Vice President must be a Chinese citizen with full electoral rights who has reached the age of 45. The President's term of office is the same as the term of the National People's Congress (currently five years), and the president and vice-president were both limited to two consecutive terms.[2]

Such limit was abolished by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China to the 13th National People's Congress on 25 February 2018, making it possible for the President and the Vice President to service the office for life.[3][4]

According to the British Financial Times, China's leader Xi Jinping expressed his views of constitutional amendment at meetings with Chinese officials and foreign dignitaries. Xi explained the decision in terms of needing to align his two more powerful posts — General Secretary of the Communist Party and Chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC) which are no term limits.[5] However, Xi did not say whether he intended to serve as party general secretary, CMC chairman and state president, for three or more terms.

North Korea

After Kim Il-sung's death in 1994, the North Korean government wrote the presidential office out of the constitution, declaring him "Eternal President" in 1998 in order to honor his memory forever. Since there can be no succession in a system where the President reigns over a nation beyond death, the powers of the president are nominally and effectively split between the president of the Supreme People's Assembly, the prime minister, and the chairman of the State Affairs Commission. However, his son and grandson have been in control of the country since his death (Kim Jong-il from 1994 until his death in 2011, and Kim Jong-un since 2011).

List of leaders who became president for life

Note: the first date listed in each entry is the date of proclamation of their status as President for Life.

Portrait Name Title Took office Left office Notes
Toussaint LouvertureGovernor for Life of Saint-Domingue18011802arrested and exiled to metropolitan France 1802, died 1803.
Henri ChristophePresident for Life of the State of Haiti (Northern)18071811became King 1811, committed suicide in office 1820.
Alexandre PétionPresident for Life of Haiti (Southern)18161818died in office 1818.
José Gaspar Rodríguez de FranciaPerpetual Supreme Dictator of Paraguay18161840died in office 1840.
Jean-Pierre BoyerPresident for Life of Haiti18181843became President for Life immediately upon assuming the office because Alexandre Pétion's constitution provided for a life presidency for all his successors, deposed 1843, died 1850.
Antonio López de Santa AnnaPresident for Life of Mexico18531855resigned 1855, died 1876.
Rafael CarreraPresident for Life of Guatemala18541865died in office 1865.
SukarnoSupreme Commander, Great Leader of Revolution, Mandatory of the People's Consultative Assembly, and President for Life of Indonesia19631966appointed as President for Life according to the Ketetapan MPRS No. III/MPRS/1963,[6] stripped of title 1966, deposed 1967, died under house arrest 1970.
Tupua Tamasese MeaʻoleO le Ao o le Malo for Life of Samoa19621963Died in office 1963, elected to serve alongside Tanumafili II (see below).[7]
Malietoa Tanumafili IIO le Ao o le Malo for Life of Samoa19622007Died in office 2007, elected to serve alongside Meaʻole (see above).[7]
François "Papa Doc" DuvalierPresident for Life of Haiti19641971died in office 1971, named his son as his successor (see below).[8]
Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" DuvalierPresident for Life of Haiti19711986named by his father as successor (see above), deposed 1986, died 2014.
Hastings BandaPresident for Life of Malawi19711993stripped of title after 1993 referendum, defeated in 1994 general election, died 1997.
Jean-Bédel BokassaPresident for Life of the Central African Republic19721976became Emperor 1976, deposed 1979, died 1996.
Francisco Macías NguemaPresident for Life of Equatorial Guinea19721979deposed and executed 1979.
Josip Broz TitoPresident for Life of Yugoslavia19741980appointed as President for Life according to the 1974 Constitution, died in office 1980.
Habib BourguibaPresident for Life of Tunisia19751987deposed 1987, died under house arrest 2000.
Idi Amin of UgandaPresident for Life of Uganda19761979defeated in war 1979, died 2003.
Lennox SebePresident for Life of Ciskei19831990deposed 1990, died 1994.
Saparmurat NiyazovPresident for Life of Turkmenistan19992006died in office 2006.

Notes

  1. ↑ Crawford Young and Thomas Turner, The Rise and Decline of the Zairian State, p. 211
  2. ↑ Constitution of the People's Republic of China, Section 2, Article 79.
  3. ↑ "CPC proposes change on Chinese president's term in Constitution - Xinhua | English.news.cn". www.xinhuanet.com. Retrieved 2018-02-25.
  4. ↑ Reuters (2018-02-25). "China Sets Stage for Xi to Stay in Office Indefinitely". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2018-02-25.
  5. ↑ Mitchell, Tom. "China's Xi Jinping says he is opposed to life-long rule". Financial Times. Retrieved 17 April 2018. President insists term extension is necessary to align government and party posts
  6. ↑ "Ketetapan MPRS No. III/MPRS/1963".
  7. 1 2 "Constitution of the Independent State of Western Samoa 1960". University of the South Pacific. Archived from the original on 8 July 2007. Retrieved 28 December 2007.
  8. ↑ The Oxford Encyclopedia of African Thought: Abol-impe. Oxford University Press. 2010-01-01. p. 328. ISBN 9780195334739.

Further reading

  • The President for Life Pandemic: Kenya, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Zambia and Malawi. Bhekithemba Richard Mngomezulu, Adonis & Abbey Publishers Ltd, 2013 ISBN 9781909112315
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