Reuters AlertNet Full site
Homepage | Newsdesk | NGO Latest | Crisis briefings | Country profiles | MediaWatch | Jobs | Alerting | Login

NEWSDESK

FACTBOX-Africa's third term presidents
12 Nov 2008 12:55:42 GMT
 Source: Reuters
Nov 12 (Reuters) - Algerian lawmakers approved on Wednesday the lifting of presidential term limits, a move seen by opposition parties in the OPEC member state as aimed at letting President Abdelaziz Bouteflika stay in office for life.

Here are details about some African leaders who have taken similar measures to prolong their rule:

* BURKINA FASO - Blaise Compaore - Compaore, who seized power in 1987, removed a limit on terms in 1997. He won a third term in 2005 with a landslide victory.

* CAMEROON - Paul Biya - Cameroon's national assembly adopted a constitutional bill in April 2006 removing a two-term presidential limit to allow Biya to extend his 25-year rule in the central African country past 2011.

* CHAD - Idriss Deby - Deby, who took power in a coup in 1990, won a third term in 2006 after a referendum the year before removed a two-term limit.

* GABON - Omar Bongo - Bongo came to power in 1967 and is Africa's longest-serving ruler. He secured a change in the law in 2003 so he can seek re-election as many times as he wants.

* GUINEA - Lansana Conte - Conte won disputed elections in 1993, 1998 and 2003 after a change in the constitution allowed him a third term. His current mandate expires in 2010. * TUNISIA - Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali - Ben Ali, who took office in 1987, won nearly 100 percent approval for 2002 reforms to let him keep standing for re-election.

* UGANDA - Yoweri Museveni - Museveni, in power since 1986, won re-election in February 2006 after he changed the constitution in 2005 to let him stand for a third term.


AlertNet news is provided by
Email this article       Send comments

NGO latest

•  African child rights organisations urge governments in Africa to ban all forms of corporal punishment of children
Save the Children - Sweden

•  Islamic Relief and UNFPA come together to improve reproductive healthcare
Islamic Relief - UK

•  Essential new guidelines for aid agencies in emergencies
HelpAge Intl - UK

•  EU RETREATING FROM CARBON EMISSIONS PLEDGES
Christian Aid - UK

•  Oxfam: "EU member states should follow the Parliament's lead and reduce role for biofuels"
Oxfam GB - UK

MORE >>

Latest news

•  FACTBOX-Africa's third term presidents

•  Algeria assembly lifts presidential term limits

•  Afghanistan calls for more foreign fighting troops

•  U.S. urges Ukraine NATO membership, action unlikely

•  Bakassi militia free French oil hostages in Cameroon

MORE >>

AlertNet news is provided by

Background information

Facts & figures
Cameroon Algeria United Kingdom

Related articles

Breaking stories
 FACTBOX-Africa's third term presidents (1 minute ago)

Algeria assembly lifts presidential term limits (1 minute ago)

AlertNet insight
 Experts call for better data on climate change migrants (1 minute ago)

Aid agency news feed
 African child rights organisations urge governments in Africa to ban all forms of corporal punishment of children (1 minute ago)

Blogs
 CLIMATE CHANGE BLOG: Does poverty equal vulnerability? (1 minute ago)

Maps
 MAP: Global Incidence of H5N1 Virus (1 minute ago)


Del.icio.us Del.icio.us  |   Digg Digg  |   NewsVine NewsVine  |   Reddit Reddit   
Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2008-10-07T152423Z_01_ALG04_RTRIDSP_2_ALGERIA-FLOODS_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/ALG04.htm
Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2008-10-07T152253Z_01_ALG01_RTRIDSP_2_ALGERIA-FLOODS_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/ALG01.htm

Algeria's Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia speaks during a news conference in Algiers after his visit to the flood affected region of Ghardaia October 7, 2008. REUTERS/Louafi Larbi (ALGERIA) ...


More pictures | Galleries
Disclaimers |  Copyright |  Privacy |  Contact Us |  Feedback |  About Us |  RSS XML

Last updated:Wed Nov 12 12:56:58 2008