BEIRUT, Lebanon- The issue of Arab political reform has generated much discussion recently in the Middle East and abroad, along with numerous agendas and proposals for action. Yet the Arab reform debate within this region lacks credibility because it is directed by individual leaders who have held power for decades. Therefore, I offer a modest proposal: that individual Arab presidents remain in power for no longer than four consecutive terms, or a single human generation (25 years), whichever comes first.
This is not a facetious or sarcastic proposal, but a considered and serious one. It is dictated in particular by the reality in Egypt, Tunisia, and Libya, whose three current presidents – Libya’s Moammar Gadhafi, Tunisia’s Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali, and Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak – have been in power for a total of 65 years and still counting. The purely political and historical in Arab leadership balances on the threshold of the eternal – to our collective detriment.
President Mubarak in Egypt assumed office in October 1981, has been “elected” to four consecutive six-year terms, and his National Democratic Party has routinely won over 75 percent of seats in parliament.
President Ben Ali in Tunisia took over the presidency in a bloodless coup in November 1987, has been “elected” for three consecutive five-year terms (the last time, in October 1999, with 99 percent of the vote), and two years ago held a referendum that changed the constitution to allow him to run for more than three terms. His Democratic Constitutional Assembly Party won 92 percent of the votes in the May 2000 municipal elections.
President Gadhafi in Libya, who took power in a military coup in 1969, largely defies historical analysis, because every few years he changes his own title and position, the country’s governance system and ideological orientation, and his relations with neighbors and other states in the region. The current power elite with him has ruled for 25 years – a full generation.
I have never personally met nor have any claim against these three leaders. I appreciate the good things that they have done for their countries, in security, stability and economic growth. But it is clear that no matter how decent, patriotic and caring a president may be, the perpetual incumbency of individuals and their narrow circle of supporters has done more harm than good in the modern Arab security state. It is time to honor those who have served selflessly for decades, and to ponder alternatives to the prevailing tradition of Arab presidents-for-life.
I raise this issue now because in the coming year the Egyptian and Tunisian presidents are expected to run again for a new presidential term. I urge them to think again, and to show their highest possible form of patriotism by announcing that they will reject the call of their masses who love them dearly to run for another term. Mubarak, Ben Ali and Gadhafi should make modern history by instituting a vital democratic practice – presidential term limits.
My suggestion for them collectively to renounce serving another term is not primarily a criticism of their persons. Rather it is a call for implementing a precious principle that has always been key to successful democracies (as the respected Lebanese law professor and democracy activist Chibli Mallat rightly reminds us): the routine and peaceful rotation of executive power.
This is not an issue of ideology, but rather of biology: human beings who enjoy unchecked and unaccountable power for decades at a time inevitably slip into a pattern of distorted decision-making that exaggerates their own sense of wisdom and infallibility. It narrows the band of people who design national policies, and who benefit from them. Even the most honest and enlightened leader in the world should be rotated after a certain period of time. Perpetual power and unaccountable incumbency inevitably breed a combination of artificial, know-it-all self-confidence that usually spills over into arrogance and intolerance of other opinions.
Our creator did not program our human flesh and genes for life-long rule. Perhaps that is why in the holy books of Islam, Christianity and Judaism, the most common dictate for human behavior, after the love of God, is humility and kindness to one’s fellow human beings. This is also why proven democracies in the past two centuries have all instituted presidential term limits. Where the Divine and the temporal converge, Arab leaders should dare to go. Now would be a good time to start this noble march.
Mubarak, Ben Ali and Gadhafi have all spoken about the need to reform their political systems, as have all Arab leaders. These three North African leaders are deeply beloved and appreciated by their people, to judge by the amazing repeated re-election victories they have notched up in the past quarter century, usually with victory margins of over 90 percent. This unremitting, intense love of the people for their wise and caring leaders is astounding, often defying rational analysis. I suggest, though, that if these three leaders want to reciprocate the love and loyalty of their people, their most effective move would be to refuse to serve another term. They should announce their adoption of presidential term limits as their personal contribution to implementing the first steps to genuine Arab political reform. Great, historic, and very durable leaders, as these men seem to be, do not only speak the language of reform – they put it into action.
I know that reform has to be homegrown and gradual in the Arab world, which is why I recommend that we ease into this, and not overdo it. I do not want to propose something drastic and unreasonable, like asking Arab presidents to serve for only two or three terms, or just 20 years. This is why I suggest we adopt a limit of four consecutive presidential terms, or 25 consecutive years (each year being no more than 365 days, and impervious to constitutional amendments), whichever comes first. That would mean that Mubarak should not run again because he is finishing his fourth term, but it allows Ben Ali in Tunisia to serve one more term, for a total of 20 years as president. Gadhafi has ruled for 25 years, which seems a decent amount of time to implement one’s policies, and serve one’s beloved people.
Just a modest proposal to ponder from a humble citizen who loves the Arab people as much as their leaders do.
Rami G. Khouri is executive editor of the Beirut-based Daily Star newspaper, published throughout the Middle East with the International Herald Tribune.
Copyright © 2004 Rami G. Khouri
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Released: 4 August 2004
Word Count: 1,060 words
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