INTERACTIVE: Time for a term limit?

PETALING JAYA: With Malaysia mulling a proposal to limit the Prime Minister’s tenure to 10 years, a question that arises is how long leaders in other countries get to serve.

According to the World Population Review website, term limits are very rare for Prime Ministers but common for Presidents.

Of the 73 countries listed on the website as having Prime Ministers, only four impose term limits - Thailand (two four-year terms), Laos (two five-year terms), Cuba (two five-year terms), and Mongolia (one four-year term).

While most countries don’t have term limits for their Prime Ministers, these leaders typically serve at the pleasure of their respective parliaments.

When it comes to Presidents, term-limits are the norm.

World Population Review lists 146 that have Presidents. From this total, two-term limits are the most common, in place in 98 countries.

Another 14 countries have a one-term limit, while two have three-term limits.

 

 

The World Population Review website provides information about the tenures of top leaders in 174 countries and territories.

The list of countries is not exhaustive but provides interesting insights into the term-limits of leaders worldwide.

On March 16, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said he that agreed with a proposal made to limit the Prime Minister's tenure to two parliamentary terms, but stressed that discussions were ongoing to gain the support of all parties before moving forward.

On March 19, government spokesman and Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil said Anwar had instructed that a detailed study be done on whether to impose such a limit.

For more information on term-limits for Prime Ministers and Presidents, type the name of a country or territory in the tables below.