African leaders shouldn’t ‘tamper’ with term limits, says Kofi Annan

LAGOS – African leaders should “play by the rules” and resist the temptation to perpetuate their grip on power, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan said in an interview published yesterday.

“We need to play by the rules. We need to accept the constitution …and we should not tamper with the constitution to perpetuate our rule,” Annan told the independent newspaper The Guardian.The interview came amid speculation that Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo is seeking a way to extend his a beyond 2007.The Nigerian parliament has been debating a package of constitutional changes submitted by Obasanjo’s supporters which would allow him to run for a third term in office at the expiration of his two four-year terms.The plan has drawn outrage from the opposition, organised labour and a large swathe of the public.-AFPWe need to accept the constitution …and we should not tamper with the constitution to perpetuate our rule,” Annan told the independent newspaper The Guardian.The interview came amid speculation that Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo is seeking a way to extend his a beyond 2007.The Nigerian parliament has been debating a package of constitutional changes submitted by Obasanjo’s supporters which would allow him to run for a third term in office at the expiration of his two four-year terms.The plan has drawn outrage from the opposition, organised labour and a large swathe of the public.-AFP