Togo, Gambia block bid to limit presidential terms in West Africa
- dpa-international
- May 21, 2015
- 1 min read
ACCRA, GHANA - Togo and Gambia blocked an attempt to limit presidential terms in West Africa, an official of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) said Wednesday.
Outgoing ECOWAS chair and Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama tabled a motion for a regional policy to prohibit presidents from staying in office for more than two terms in a row, an ECOWAS official told dpa on condition of anonymity.
But the motion was dropped after Togo and Gambia, whose leaders have both been in office for more than two terms, opposed the plan during an ECOWAS summit in Ghana's capital, Accra.
Togolese President Faure Gnassingbe won a third term last month, while Gambian President Yahya Jammeh has been in power since 1994.
Presidential term limits remain a hot topic across Africa.
The debate comes amid violent unrest in the East African nation of Burundi, were people have been protesting against President Pierre Nkurunziza's bid for a third term during elections scheduled for June 26.
Last year, President Blaise Compaore's attempt to seek an unconstitutional third term caused a massive popular uprising in West Africa's Burkina Faso, forcing him to flee the country.
Source: Dpa-international.com
