Op-ed: Introducing term limits for prime ministers won't solve Ethiopia's democracy problems

Ethiopian prime minister Abiy Ahmed has revived debate over whether the country should impose term limits on its head of government. Speaking before the National Dialogue Commission in May 2026 – just weeks before national elections – he said executive power should be “limited by law”. He suggested the issue could form part of wider constitutional reform that many Ethiopians have been calling for since 1995. [ . . . ] A constitutional term limit could encourage leadership circulation, reduce the personalisation of executive office and create incentives for succession planning. In fragile democracies, such limits may serve as a safeguard against indefinite incumbency. But term limits alone would not resolve Ethiopia’s deeper constitutional problem.
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