Presidential Term Limit Law in Africa

Presidential term limits are constitutional restrictions on the number of terms an elected head of state can hold office. A majority of African countries have included presidential term limits in their constitution. However, the implementation of those term limits has in many countries given rise to contestation, political instability and violent protests as a result of attempts by incumbent presidents to stay in office notwithstanding the term limit. Presidential term limits have, thus far, been studied primarily by political scientists. This project seeks to fill an important gap in the academic literature by studying the international and domestic legal avenues towards compliance: what are the international and domestic norms, institutions and procedures, including in the area of electoral law, that are available to enforce the presidential term limits laid down in the constitution?  The project does not only fill a scientific gap, it also has major policy relevance, including for international actors involved with the protection of rule of law, constitutionalism and stability on the African continent.

• Presidential Term Limits and the International Community (C Murray, E Alston and M Wiebusch) in The Politics of Presidential Term Limits (A Baturo and R Elgie (eds) Oxford University Press, 2019.

• Presidential Term Limits and the African Union (M Wiebusch and C Murray) in the Journal of African Law, 2019.

• Legal Loopholes and the Politics of Executive Term Limits: Insights from Burundi (S Vandeginste) in Africa Spectrum, 2017.