would term limits help Caribbean politics?

[evanovitch]

bbc.com

A former governor general has weighed in on <span style="font-weight: bold">the debate about whether Caribbean leaders should be restricted to term limits in government. </span>

Former governor general of St Kitts and Nevis Sir Probyn Innis has told BBC Caribbean that he strongly favours term limits.

The issue has been raised in St Vincent and the Grenadines, Guyana, St Kitts and Nevis and Antigua and Barbuda.

Sir Probyn considers term limits on heads of government a definite contribution towards the growth of greater democracy.

&quot;I think it would help within parties and within governments,&quot; he told BBC Caribbean.

The former head of state said <span style="font-weight: bold">recent history in the Caribbean had shown that after serving two consecutive terms of office, prime ministers tend to be &quot;out of control&quot;, becoming more concerned with themselves and their place in history</span>.

[Dyoll_73]

Re: would term limits help Caribbean politics?

I would think statesmen concerned with their place in history would be driven to do great things for their country.

but then I'm talking about statesmen, not mere politicians.

In parliamentary democracies, a political party can always determine who will lead the party, and they can choose to select someone different for an upcoming general election, or even cut short the term of a sitting PM/party leader. There are also provisions for a no-confidence vote.

What I think Jamaica should have is a fixed election date every five years.

[Dr.Dudd]

Re: would term limits help Caribbean politics?

Where has term ,.imits be shown to be a success??
term limits is another of the accepted lyths, that has not been proven to be of benefit to those who are supoose to beiot's beneficiaries. In congress in situations where congressional reps has been a subject of that policy. they constotiency theyrepresent is worse of in every single case.
As fr term limits to th epresidency,it lead to th epresident being only mindful of voters wishes, for the first term. the second one he dos as he see fit, since he knows that irrespective of him good he does, he will not be returning to thepost.

[Tuff Gong]

Re: would term limits help Caribbean politics?


I think so. I believe is Citizen-Politician and not the Career-Politician.
Term Limits would widen the pool of potential persons who want to serve their country.

It would give dissenters in a Political Party the cover they to go after rogue and non-performing Party Leaders, Functionaries and MHRs.
It would also make political campaigns less about form that substance as you could not just hope to get in and spend a like time of incumbency doodling then near the end of your natural life when you almost ready to go in your casket you jump up and start caring about <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black'">your positive legacy</span>.

[Dyoll_73]

Re: would term limits help Caribbean politics?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Tuff Gong</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
I think so. I believe is Citizen-Politician and not the Career-Politician.
Term Limits would widen the pool of potential persons who want to serve their country.

It would give dissenters in a Political Party the cover they to go after rogue and non-performing Party Leaders, Functionaries and MHRs.
It would also make political campaigns less about form that substance as you could not just hope to get in and spend a like time of incumbency doodling then near the end of your natural life when you almost ready to go in your casket you jump up and start caring about <span style="font-family: 'Arial Black'">your positive legacy</span>.</div></div>

As I'm thinking about term limits more, it seems to me that such limits imply a fixed election date, which can be problematic in a parliamentary democracy where Prime Ministers serve as long as they enjoy the confidence of the majority party, or even Parliament in the case where third-party coalitions are brought into the mix.

In a parliamentary democracy, a PM may see it fit to call an election even after two or three years in office, depending on his support in Parliament. As such, I think term limits may work better in an executive presidential system than in a Parliamentary democracy, but I'm not saying that it absolutely cannot work.

Term limits could still be imposed on Members of Parliaments and Senators (nominated by PM, appointed by GG), Mayors and Parish Councilors.

[Tuff Gong]

Re: would term limits help Caribbean politics?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Humano</div><div class="ubbcode-body">As I'm thinking about term limits more, it seems to me that such limits imply a fixed election date, which can be problematic in a parliamentary democracy where Prime Ministers serve as long as they enjoy the confidence of the majority party, or even Parliament in the case where third-party coalitions are brought into the mix.

In a parliamentary democracy, a PM may see it fit to call an election even after two or three years in office, depending on his support in Parliament. As such, I think term limits may work better in an executive presidential system than in a Parliamentary democracy, but I'm not saying that it absolutely cannot work.

Term limits could still be imposed on Members of Parliaments and Senators, Mayors and Parish Councilors. </div></div>

You are right.... it would not work for Elections but for terms a Candidate will stand.... of course it does impinge on the right of Electors to choose to keep a guy or a girl till they are past dead, but I would still support it.