South African President Thabo Mbeki has rejected the notion that term limits for people in high office is a vital principle to promote strong democracy and economic well-being.
Replying to a question in the National Assembly from Independent African Movement leader Theresa Millin who suggested that with Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe “clinging to power”, did the president not agree “that a strict limit to the term of office for any leader is vital to a strong democracy and the economic well-being of a nation’s people, Mbeki said:
“I do not believe that. That is a matter for individual countries.”
Mbeki said in South Africa — where he himself will serve a maximum two-terms as president — “we did things in this country (in this way) not because we feared that we would not be democrats, but to communicate a message to people about entrenching the notion of changeability of government and elections that take place.”
But he said he was certain there were governments with term limits that had misbehaved and what inspired that behaviour was not so much limitation of power but ideological positions that particular parties take.
“I wouldn’t say one must adopt as a matter of universal principle term limitation.”
Asked by New National Party (NNP) MP Martha Olckers whether President Mugabe’s Zanu-PF and the opposition Movement for Democratic Change in Zimbabwe were setting preconditions for talks about that country’s future, Mbeki said: “I don’t know of any preconditions in any of the discussion that I have had with Zanu-PF or the MDC.”
“Nobody has indicated that preconditions should be met before talking to each other,” said the president, noting that the two parties were talking “and that was not preceded by any discussion of the need to meet any particular conditions”. – I-Net Bridge