Absolute Power until Death

On 11 March 2018, the People’s Republic of China unanimously amended its constitution, removing presidential term limits for its President Xi Jinping. The National People’s Congress passed the historic constitutional amendment with 2,958 votes in favour, two votes against, and three abstentions. Indicators of this move were visible during the national congress of Chinese Communist Party in October 2017. Such a political move, although an internal matter for China, will have a large impact on the present international order, where China currently holds a leading position.

No doubt, this shift from two presidential terms to a “president for life,” carries with it a lot of questions, concerns and new implications for the present world. The world has always been alert to authoritarian tendencies, on guard against autocratic intentions. Yet, history has had its own encounters and experiences with different authoritarian forms across the world. In most instances, the world witnessed an ultimate triumph of democracy, although it has manifested in various ways.