Alexander Bustamante served two terms as chief minister and one term as prime minister. Ministries, Departments & Agencies Government Services on gov.jm Petition the Office of the Prime Minister Government News - JIS Cabinet Ministers Jamaican Holidays GOJ Open Data Portal Electronic Procurement. Travelling To/From Jamaica Investing/Doing Business in Jamaica Import and Export in Jamaica Visit Jamaica Government.

None of the leaders was forced out of office at the insistence of delegates or by resolution at the partyвЂ™s annual conference. Michael Manley gave up the leadership through ill-health at age 68. P J Patterson handed over the presidency when he was 71 years and Portia Simpson Miller will be 71 years old on December 12, 2016. Three of the four presidents of the PNP served until over 70 years of age Norman Manley was 76 when he retired in 1969. It would also mean that Peter Phillips would have very little hope of being president as he is just three years from the suggested age limit.Other issues likely to affect BuntingвЂ™s renewal proposal is that of tradition and empathy among delegates. That benchmark, if adopted by the PNP, would disqualify the current president, Portia Simpson Miller at age 71, and Robert Pickersgill (74).

The first section of the amendment holds in part that, 'No person shall be elected to the office of the president more than twice, and no person who has held the office of president, or acted as president, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected president shall be elected to the office of president more than once.'This is strongly held tradition in the US. As such, this statutory prohibition is a carbon copy of what obtains in the United States.In 1947, the 22nd Amendment was passed in the United States Congress, and ratified by the 36 requisite state legislatures four years after, which imposed term limits for the president of the United States. Unlike Member of Parliament Bunting, Holness has only addressed the office of the prime minister. Simpson Miller is about to complete her 10th year as president.Where the prime minister, Andrew Holness, is concerned, the current proposal which he intends to implement requires a two-term limit for the head of the executive branch. Norman ManleyвЂ™s presidency was renewed 24 times, his son Michael retired after 23 years, and P J Patterson bowed out after 14 years.

Which executive head in Jamaica overstayed his/her welcome and created a political dynasty that choked our democratic traditions of voting governments in and out? None.Let us review the tenure of leaders of the executive branch of government for two terms and over. Essentially, it would be a law that prohibits behaviour, or lack thereof, which is likely to be injurious to the common good.What is it that term limits are expected to achieve? Limiting an individual to 10 years will not necessarily achieve a new dispensation, and making the process mandatory does not guarantee solving a problem not yet defined. Interestingly enough, there are no constitutional restrictions on the number of terms a person can serve as vice-president.In law, statutes or constitutional amendments are enacted to cure a mischief or to deter some act or malfeasance which is inimical to public policy. Even during the second term of Ronald Reagan there were several attempts to repeal the amendment.

There is no provision for a term limit, except concerning how the prime minister is appointed through section 70 of the constitution having regard to section 69. In such a case, he would be retiring at the age of 58, which doesnвЂ™t even compare to the average age of prime ministers at their swearing-in.Another relevant issue is the enactment of term limits by way of an addition or amendment to the constitution. It can be inferred that he might have been considering his own situation of seeking another term as prime minister at a relatively young age, 53 years. However, since becoming prime minister, he proffered the optimum of three terms. PattersonвЂ™s departure was based partly on his political instincts and reading the signs that it was time to hang up the spikes as the plurality votes, as well as seat count, was trending downwards since his 52/8-seat majority in 1993.Andrew Holness, on the campaign trail, spoke of limiting the tenure of prime minister to two consecutive terms (10 years) to any individual. Norman Manley was at the wicket for two terms, and so was Edward Seaga, while Michael Manley served a third term just after Seaga lost the 1989 election.The only exception would have been P J Patterson, who served for three consecutive terms tolling 14 years as prime minister.

That prospect of unanimity does not seem to be on the horizon.Gladstone Wilson is an attorney-at-law and former general manager of the Jamaica Broadcasting Corporation. Whichever method the process might require, a term limit can only be achieved if the issues are clear and all parties are in agreement. In like manner, careful amendments would also be necessary to sections 71 (1, 2, and 3) to close any possible loopholes.But the ultimate test to any constitutional amendment is whether the clause(s) will be made law by a simple majority, entrenched, or deeply entrenched.

Jamaica Prime Minister Term Lengths