Tanzania's president Jakaya Kikwete says: I can't wait to step down
- The East African country's outgoing president says that two terms are more than enough for him, despite the tendency of some of his neighbours to stay on longer.
Tanzania’s outgoing president Jakaya Kikwete has told
how he is looking forward to stepping down in October this year, describing the
job of leading his country as “stressful and thankless”.
Two terms in high office were more than enough for him, Mr
Kikwete added during a speech at the Woodrow Wilson International Centre for
Scholars in Washington DC.
“After 10 years, you need to move on. It’s been 10 years since I
came to this high profile office,” he said.
“I was very young, just 55. But what I can tell you about this
job is that it is stressful and thankless.” His comments might furrow some
brows among his neighbours, who have been accused of overstaying their welcome
in office.
To the north, Yoweri Museveni has been in office in Uganda since 1986 when he helped to topple
dictators Idi Amin and Milton Obote, and is now serving his fourth term amid
accusations of electoral fraud and opposition intimidation.
To the west, there were deadly clashes in January after it was
suggested that Joseph Kabila, president of the Democratic Republic of Congo, might try to change the
constitution to enable him to run for a third term.
Both Malawi and Zambia are
beacons in the region for power having changed hands peacefully several times
in recent years, but further south in Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe, the president, has clung on
to high office, allegedly using voter intimidation, violence and poll
manipulation, since 1980.
Further west, Angola’s Eduardo dos Santos has been in power since 1979.
None the less, Nigeria’s Goodluck Jonathan set a strong example for the region
last week when he conceded defeat to his presidential rival Muhammadu
Buhari in crunch elections.
Asked at the Washington event why he believed African leaders
had a tendency to cling to power, Mr Kikwete took a diplomatic approach. “I
should not speak on their behalf,” he said.
“You need to invite them and get their opinions.”
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