Tanzanian President John Magufuli on Monday rejected calls for him to extend his term beyond the constitutionally allowed two, five-year terms, going against a trend in the region.
The rpesident made the announcement during a public address, saying he will respect the constitution.
“It’s impossible. I will respect the constitution,” Magufuli told a public rally in the coastal Tanzanian town of Tanga after a member of parliament from the ruling CCM party called for an extension of his rule to at least 20 years.
“I have sworn to defend the constitution … I shall play my part and pass on the leadership reins to the next president when the time comes.”
Magufuli was elected in october 2015, taking over from Jakaya Kikwete in November.
He is yet to indicate whether he will run for re-election in the 2020 polls. If he does so and wins however, he would be ineligible to seek another term in 2025.
Former president, Ali Hassan Mwinyi, from the ruling CCM party, who himself served only terms in 1985-1995, first publicly raised the idea in June.
“If it wasn’t for term limits, I would have suggested that Magufuli should be our president for eternity,” Mwinyi told a cheering crowd in Tanzania’s commercial capital Dar es Salaam at the time.
Magufuli, nicknamed the Bulldozer, has been hailed for his strict leadership style, and has also received praise from Western nations for his fight against corruption.
Opponents however accuse him of cracking down on dissent, limiting media freedom, among others.
