China to See One-Man Rule? Legislators Gather to Decide on President Xi Jinping Indefinite Rule
The move allows Jinping, the incumbent President, to rule beyond 2023 – that is when his second term is scheduled to end.
Beijing, March 5: In what is believed to be a historic power grab, Chinese President Xi Jinping is poised to rule the country indefinitely, putting to end the constitutional two-term limits on the presidency. Chinese legislators have gathered to approve changes and undo decades of efforts to prevent a return to crushing dictatorship. The move allows Jinping, the incumbent President, to rule beyond 2023 – that is when his second term is scheduled to end. It must be noted that the Communist Party of China’s (CPC) Central Committee has proposed to remove the two-term limit for the post of president and vice president through a constitutional amendment.
Amending the Constitution is a big event in China’s political life and a major legislative activity with wide-ranging implications. The changes would allow Xi, already China’s most powerful leader in decades, to extend his rule over the world’s second-largest economy possibly for life. On Sunday, China defended its move to remove the two-term limit for Jinping, asserting that it was important to uphold the authority of the ruling Communist Party and unity of the state leadership.
End to two-term limit on the presidency
Once the changes are approved, the constitutional amendment would upend a system enacted by former Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping in 1982 to prevent a return to the bloody excesses of a lifelong dictatorship typified by Mao Zedong’s chaotic 1966-1976 Cultural Revolution. The recent move drew ire on social media as people raised concern and speculation on Xi’s limitless rule in China.
As legislators are in the process to approve the amendment, 64-year-old Xi, who heads the CPC and military besides the presidency and recently began his second five-year term, would continue for an unprecedented third term and beyond. With this, a single individual will accumulate political power, being the head of state.
Why such move:
Explaining for the first time why the CPC opted for such a move, spokesman of the National People’s Congress Zhang Yesui told media here that the president had the term-limit while there was no term limits for head of the party and the military. “Well according to the constitution of the CPC there is no such provision that there shall be no more than two successive terms for the General Secretary or Chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC) in the Constitution of the China,” Zhang said.
Zhang said it is conducive to uphold the authority of the Central Committee of the party with Xi Jinping at the core and also unified leadership. It is also conducive to the unified state leadership system “This amendment does not mean changes in the system of retirement for party and state leaders and also does not imply that leaders will have lifetime tenure,” the party’s mouthpiece said Thursday.
Xi’s leadership:
Xi, who took over power in 2012, heads the party, the military and the presidency. While the posts of head of the party and military are powerful, the presidency is largely ceremonial. The five-term for the presidency starts this month. Xi began second five-year term as the leader of the CPC and the military in last October after a key congress of the party.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 05, 2018 03:12 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).