West African leaders have rejected a proposal to impose a region-wide limit to the number of terms presidents can serve.
This was after Togo and Gambia opposed the idea vehemently.
The two countries are the only members of West African bloc Ecowas that do not limit the number of presidential terms to two.
The leaders discussed the proposal aimed at limiting presidential mandates to two terms as several long-standing African presidents are approaching legal term limits.
Attempts to change the law, or circumvent it, have sparked unrest in Burundi and Burkina Faso.
“This dissenting view became the majority view at the end of the day,” Ghana’s Foreign Minister Hannah Tetteh told Reuters news agency.
The proposal was discussed at a summit of regional leaders in Ghana’s capital, Accra.
“It was a proposal that was put on the agenda for the heads of state and governments to decide on and at the end today’s deliberations, it was not adopted.” Foreign Minister Hannah Tetteh told Reuters.
West African leaders have dropped plans to impose a two-term limit on presidents.
This is after Togo and The Gambia the only members of West African bloc Ecowas that do not limit the number of presidential terms to two campaigned against it.
