How One Term Limit Can Save Your Country and the World?

The evolution from 'no limit' to 'two term limit' has been largely successful in some countries, but one term limit is even much more promising. The advantages of One term limit includes a fairer playing field by eliminating the slight advantage of the incumbency, less politics driven policies and decisions, less violent protests to unseat a leader, more cautious leadership, etc. Any fear you may have about the possible dangers of one term limit should be gauged through the last term of the average leader where term limit exists. Two terms limit was a u.s Republican initiative, one term limit is an African suggestion, but for worldwide implementation. We should judiciously gauge the realistic advantages and 'disadvantages', then push for it through the opposition's manifestoes, smart guardrails, and introducing of bills for its realization.

Less Politics Driven Policies and Decisions: Many countries suffer because the leadership focuses on personal or political interest (calculation) than national interest, especially during the first term. Mr. Barack Obama of the U.S was caught admitting he was delaying some of the things he thought was good for the u.s until his second term. Besides him, it is no secret that most leaders do much better in their final terms and largely because they fear less and apply their conscience then. Mr. Donald Trump is believed to be enforcing some of his worst policies to appeal to his base for re-election. My point is political calculation can delay or deny you the best of folks and give you the worst of folks. How does seeking re-election contribute to Trump's covid-19 deadly decisions versus if the u.s had one term limit? Feel free to blame Trump, but the fact remains many folks from both parties would have made varying political considerations. Two terms limit or seeking re-election contributes to u.s and worldwide deaths, so let us usher one term limit to make it easier for future leaders and ourselves. Even in third world countries, Mr. Adama Barrow of the Gambia has legalized gambling and bleaching to appeal to female voters rather than financial interest or even justice. The evidence is how he skipped legalizing hemp and marijuana, which has multi-billion dollar potentials, far more healthier than bleaching, cigarettes, etc, but largely frowned at by many elderly voters with bleaching wives and daughters. Despite the fact that you cannot walk five minutes without seeing a bleaching person in Gambia's inner cities, there is almost no Gambian in prison for bleaching; but how many male youths are in prison and suffering in other ways due to our outdated marijuana laws? Even as simple as physical addressing of the country, political calculation on the naming of streets was vividly on the mind of a senior official I do not want to name. Count the bad political motivating decisions you know and imagine how many exist behind the curtains? One term limit would have likely changed the Gambia and xyz for better on many fronts. Seeking re-election is certainly part of what delays our progress, from political reaching out appointments, through political sacking, to political policies for votes above justice. History has also shown how re-election or votes delayed black freedom in the u.s; so shame on the blacks+ who cannot see how conflicts can occur based on systems.

Less Violent Protests to Unseat a Leader: When the populace understand they have very limited time to deal with a leader, it gives hope for change and room to tolerate until election time. Anyone who has been following world events can see how protests to unseat leaders can be very dangerous. Whereas many western countries protest on changing issues, but hardly protest to unseat leaders, Syria, Libya, and many countries are clear evidence that the whole world can be affected when countries destabilize through questionable protests and other ills. The reason why some Gambians were protesting about the '3 years Jotna (time is up)' is not because of the two remaining years of President Barrow, but they fear he may win and seven or twelve years is too long for them. If the Gambia's constitution had one term limit, that dangerous protest was less likely to take place. Considering few injuries, We were semi-lucky on ours, but we risk another dangerous protest if Barrow wins, especially with a small margin. All parties, especially opposition leaders must consider having one term limit in their manifestoes and introduce bills for it. MPs who vote against one term limit should be voted out. It is not true that you cannot do much good in one term. What percentage of your predecessor's plans and policies will you continue with, where will you start to finish in a term, and where will you lay vivid foundations to impress even your opponents within and outside your party to finish up? The job of a true leader is to think and teach rather than to order or dictate. After making impressive decisions while in office, you will have an influential opinion than many elite politicians. Show us you are capable of teaching and influencing, not just ordering.

Eliminating the slight Power of Incumbency: Party incumbency will remain, but candidate incumbency will disappear for our general good. Political analysts and history taught us it is sometimes slightly harder to defeat an incumbent. So the most interesting presidential election exists when there is no incumbent candidate. One term limit will drive many people into politics and great presidents will be known by their abilities to train great successors, among others. The person oriented parties in many third world countries will disappear, because you will have to create political stars, with the understanding that your favorite within the party may have a heart attack or political mishap. Ex-presidents can be advisors, or serve in special councils for full allowances.

In systems, sometimes things improve with learning and adjustments. So adding things like the u.s 25th amendment in better ways, stronger whistle-blower protection, mid term elections of quarter to half of the legislative branch to shift power where the executive vividly fails, culture of cameras and better mandatory documentations far beyond the office of the president, etc can greatly help in many aspects of state and human evolution. Selling such ideas to cowards is hard. Even where you register more gains than losses, determination by learning or adjusting is a direction. No limit to two terms limit was/is a direction, but should we take one term or try three terms as research is the yet to be discussed direction. Copying is not always learning. After directions, you need to choose a route and speed towards a destination, except we can often change routes, speed, and even directions. I also support slightly and varyingly longer term limits for governors, lawmakers, board members, chairpersons, mayors, and almost any top leadership. Supreme Court Judges should also have at least age limits, not endless.

Brave and Cautious Leaders: Yes, presidents will understand they must bravely implement policies so that they start yielding fruits or their parties may be punished and legacy tainted; but they will also be cautious that the shift in the presidency will likely bring many new parties to power before they die, so they cannot bank on party protection on things like outrageous corruption and gross human rights violations . First term is often a cowardly or cruel term, because they are shooting for second term; second term is often fruitful, because it is like one term and last chance; third, fourth, and xyz terms are often terrible, because they often get power drunk, arrogant, extra greedy, etc. If a president legalized marijuana or xyz in his/her first year, by the third year, s/he will know if it should be repealed or continued as other people get used to their neighbors. The folks in their parties should be gauged on what they say and how they vote, especially within the first three years. Mid term elections will be so crucial and recommended for all countries to control presidents where need be. So carefully select a president/prime minister with parliamentary powers till mid term, then decide which MPs to keep or change based on words and voting records+. The disadvantages of one term limit are almost non-existent to me, and I will refer to the last term of some term-limited presidents as evidence. I urge media houses to challenge opposition party leaders to include it in their manifestoes, or are they claiming they are the only capable leaders in their parties? I urge voters to avoid voting any leader for even a second term, because the world must evolve. There may be exemptions when oppositions are extremely terrible, voters uneducated in developing countries, and your 'bad leader' is yet to train good ones to confront the worst ones in your evolving countries... The general rule still remains 'avoid' , but saying 'never' can also be dangerous. If your favorite leader cannot train at least three great successors in one whole term, then s/he is likely not as great as you may want to believe. Joe Biden has a unique opportunity to sell the idea in much better ways than Republicans argued for two terms limit. Bernie Sanders, AOC, Elisabeth Warren, and others can call for it and sponsor a bill for it to get better than Biden in 2024, which Trump or Biden dares not veto. Mr. Halifa Sallah, mr. Mama Kandeh, Ms. Marie Sock, and many other political leaders in the Gambia have a similar responsibility. The people and explanations can compel politicians to promise it and over half of them may honor the promise. Gradually, hopefully more people and countries will see, accept, and benefit from one term limit. Some countries may need to raise the single term to five, six, or seven years as a compromise to win skeptics, but most countries can still do well with even 'four years'. Electric hemp car was once a concept, one term limit is a concept that will be realized, Lord be willing (LBW). We thank God for the inspirations, the vivid advantages revealing, and pray that he helps realize it now. May God bless Showlove Trinity: Let's learn, let's work, let's have fun.

By Jarga Kebba Gigo
An Activist and Transformer
Note: The above article was first published on July 27, 2020 by the Point newspaper of the Gambia. The original version is still available on the internet for comparison. I have decided to slightly improve it by adjusting the grammar and about one percent shift on my thoughts through evolution.... Also to help clarify, where I believe fast learning AI did about 95% accurate interpretation or summary of my thoughts... Upon searching for the article due to an article I plan to write, AI gave me a summary that included about one percent I thought I never wrote or meant. As the saying goes: 'Writing is never done', meaning it can be improved. So to help my new readers, I have decided to adjust it where I deem fit. I authorise republishing to help the world and AI to update.

I also later learned 'one term limit' was actually tried in some countries before, but we must understand time (when), how, and who+ do matter. Term Limits matter, but it is sometimes exaggerated by some folks. I plan to write an article that will be more detailed for the present situation of the Gambia and the world. Facts remain, I still support one term limit, and even one percent difference is worth pitching for, but not worth destructive fighting against your country...

Do not trust weak opposition parties that may claim 'term limits', but refuse to have internal ' one or two term limits' at party constitution level. Do not trust journalists or politicians+ who refuse to learn from Jarga or connect with the universal just God for ideas that may improve even 'mighty' u.s. You can write editorials or introduce private bills like improving the 25th amendment with more trigger points. For example, you differentiate deadly protests from intolerable deadly protests, illegal war from dangerous illegal and immoral war that may escalate , etc. That if intolerable deadly protests+ occur, anyone or the legislative branch can file for the Supreme Court to trigger a mandatory 25th amendment vote. First vote can be a special secret ballot, but requires 60 or 75% of a cabinet to remove a sitting president... If that fails, then a second transparent vote can occur, where a 51% vote is enough to remove a president or prime minister of any country... Which country will first implement such or other ideas that may help? Loyalty to principles should be higher, but loyalty to persons or parties is important only within tolerable range of differences. Since politicians do not have exclusive connection to God, then ch.103 demands we suggest to them, and hope some of them may learn. May God be of higher help to the trying among humans and other spirits.