The Central Committee of the party announced that it is seeking a constitutional amendment that allows the Head of State to serve for more than two consecutive terms

The Communist Party of China has proposed to eliminate the constitutional limit regarding the terms a president can be in office.  Due to this, President Xi Jinping could opt to stay after the end of his second term in 2022. Critics believe the measure will reverse decades' efforts to create rules in China for the orderly exercise and transfer of political power.

The Central Committee of the party announced on Sunday, February 25th that it is seeking to end the constitutional provision that prohibits the Head of State from serving more than two consecutive terms. That would eliminate the only formal barrier standing between Xi, who is also party leader and commander in chief of the armed forces, and remaining in power indefinitely. Political analysts stated that there was an absence of an successor since last October.

"Xi Jinping finally achieved his ultimate goal […] that is, be the Mao Zedong of the XXI century",  said Willy Lam, a political analyst at the Chinese University in Hong Kong stated. Lam said that the party will probably seek justification to the proposed elimination of presidential term limits citing Xi's vision of establishing a prosperous and modern society by 2050, the so – called 'new era'.

The proposal will be approved by the party's faithful delegates at the annual meeting of China 's parliament. Xi is nearing the end of his first five – year term as president and shall be appointed for a second term at the meeting of Parliament at beginning of March. The proposal to end term limits will probably be implemented at the same meeting.

Xi has generated new attention towards military parades and increases in the defense budget. But has also led an offensive against abuses and pushed to eliminate 300,000 out of 2.3 million members of the People's Liberation Army, underscoring his ability to prevail against entrenched interests.

The president is currently the secretary general of the party, but not the president. The top three leaders of China, after the founding of the People 's Republic back in 1949, took the title of party chairman holder -Mao Zedong, Hua Guofeng and then to Hu Yaobang-. The term hasn't been used since. 

"If Xi ends up being president of the party or just party secretary, it does not really matter. What matters is if you keep the power ", said Zhang Ming, a professor of political science at Renmin University of China in Beijing affirmed.

Latin American Post | Carlos Eduardo Gómez Avella

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