China paves way for Xi Jinping to rule indefinitely

By Lobsang Tenchoe

DHARAMSALA, Feb 26: Chinese President Xi Jinping is on course to remain in office for indefinitely after China’s Communist Party(CCP) has proposed to remove a constitutional clause that limits the presidency to just two terms in office.

CCP has announced on Sunday that it intends to abolish term limits on the presidency and cleared the way for President Xi Jinping to stay in power indefinitely, reports the New York Times.

Xi Jinping became the Chinese President in 2013 and is due to step down in 2023. However, following the proposal by the CCP, XI’s presidency will extend beyond his second term and Xi might never have to retire.

The delegates of CCP will pass the proposal at next month’s annual meeting of China’s rubber-stamp parliament to amend the constitution. Xi’s political thought, which was added to the party constitution last year will also be added to the Chinese constitution.

However, the writing was on the wall for the repeal of term limits. The announcement of the Politburo Standing Committee, the top leadership of the members of the CCP at the conclusion of 19th Party Congress without naming a clear successor to the President, the elevation of  Xi Jinping to the same status as China’s founding father, Mao Zedong, by writing his name and ideas into the Communist Party’s constitution, all but seem to signal his intent to stay undisputed at the helm of Chinese politics for decades to come and thereby,  making it unlikely for his rivals to challenge him and his power.

The proposal was widely opposed across social media platforms. “This move, which would allow for a single individual to amass and accumulate political power, means that China would again have a dictator as her head of state – Xi Jinping,” Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement leader, Joshua Wong has said and added, “The law may exist in China in form, but this just proves that the Chinese law exists to serve the individual and the party’s purposes.”

While a Weibo user has compared China to the dictatorial regime in North Korea and said, “Argh, we’re going to become North Korea.”