What are the longest individual presidential time limits in the world?

March 29, 2010 3:24 PM

What are the longest individual presidential term limits in the world?

I'm trying to find out which country, with a democratically elected presidential system, has the longest individual time limit for its president. I know that the Mexican president stays in office for 6 years, the French for 5, and the American for 4. Is there any country that has a longer term?

posted by Omon Ra to law & government (7 answers total)

Do you mean term limits or terms? An American president can have 2 four year terms for example
posted by IanMorr at 3:34 PM on March 29, 2010

Wikipedia List of Politicial Term Limits.

It looks like, barring countries with 'no limits', seven for Ireland and Uzbekistan (2 in a row allowed) and Israel (no repeats), and "President of the European Central Bank - Eight years, unrenewable". There are a few with 4- or 5-year terms with no limits if they aren't consecutive.
posted by cobaltnine at 3:34 PM on March 29, 2010

Is this Wikipedia list of term limits any use to you?
posted by flabdablet at 3:37 PM on March 29, 2010

In Italy the president stays in office for 7 years.
posted by _dario at 3:40 PM on March 29, 2010

@IanMorr my english is kinda wonky today. I meant to say terms. What is the longest single individual term. I doesn't mater if they include reelection or not.
posted by Omon Ra at 3:45 PM on March 29, 2010

Keep in mind that not all presidents are created equal. The president of the United States is a lot different than the president of Germany (a largely ceremonial office), or the president of Egypt (who is effectively a dictator).
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 4:29 PM on March 29, 2010

The way the Irish presidential system works is that if an incumbent decides to run for a second term, he or she is often unopposed and there is no ballot, which can mean 14 years between each election. This has happened three out of the four times that a president has run for a second term.
posted by SamuelBowman at 6:33 AM on March 30, 2010