A look at efforts worldwide to extend presidential term limits in bid to stay in power

October 6th, 2009 Albuquerque voters cast ballots for mayorALBUQUERQUE — Albuquerque voters will decide Tuesday whether to give the mayor an unprecedented fourth term. Mayor Martin Chavez paved the way for his campaign by asking a judge to overturn the term-limits law in the city charter.

October 6th, 2009 Albuquerque, NM, voters cast ballots for mayorALBUQUERQUE — State Rep. Richard Berry has taken an early lead in his bid for Albuquerque mayor.

August 28th, 2009 OAS: Any Honduran deal must restore ousted leaderTEGUCIGALPA, Honduras — The head of the Organization of American States closed the door Friday on a compromise offered by Honduras' interim leader because it would not restore the president ousted in a coup. OAS Secretary-General Jose Miguel Insulza warned there will be no agreement to end Honduras' crisis unless Manuel Zelaya returns to the presidency.

August 18th, 2009 Jacques Rogge plans to retire from IOC after 2013LONDON — IOC president Jacques Rogge plans to resign as an active member of the Olympic committee after his final presidential term ends in 2013, preferring to serve as an "honorary president." The 67-year-old Belgian, who was elected president in 2001, is seeking a second term at the International Olympic Committee session in Copenhagen in October. As the only candidate, his re-election is a formality.

August 16th, 2009 SAO PAULO/MEXICO CITY - Many democratically elected Latin American presidents are reluctant to relinquish office as their terms draw to a close. In an effort to remain president "forever", they have resorted to changing constitutions and forcing referendums to extend their time in office.

August 12th, 2009 BOGOTA - Conservative Colombian President Alvaro Uribe has said that he would seek a third term in office if a referendum on presidential re-elections was approved. In a meeting with members of the ruling party Tuesday, Uribe said he was keen to remain in power if a referendum allowing him a third presidential term was held.

August 7th, 2009 Niger votes 'yes' to extending president's ruleNIAMEY, Niger — Niger's electoral commission on Friday released provisional results showing the West African country's president can extend his rule for years past the constitutional limit, a move critics say grants him near totalitarian powers. Electoral Commission President Hamidou Moumouni said that 92.5 percent of votes cast on Aug.

August 4th, 2009 Niger to hold term-limit referendumNIAMEY, Niger — The president of uranium-rich Niger is pushing forward with a highly controversial referendum Tuesday on a new constitution that would remove term-limits and grant him an unprecendented three-year transitional term with boosted power. Opposition leaders are boycotting the vote because they say it is illegal, a view shared by international donors who may respond by cutting aid to one of the world's poorest nations.

July 21st, 2009 Nicaragua's Ortega eyes recall, end to term limitsMANAGUA, Nicaragua — Nicaraguan opposition lawmakers on Monday condemned a public appeal for constitutional changes by President Daniel Ortega as an attempt to extend term limits and eventually allow the leftist leader's re-election. At a massive celebration of the 30th anniversary of the Sandinista revolution on Sunday, the president and former guerrilla fighter proposed to allow recall elections and criticized presidential term limits for being stricter than other public offices.

July 8th, 2009 Audit finds states using stimulus to stay afloatWASHINGTON — The Obama administration hoped spending $787 billion in stimulus would jump-start the economy, build new schools and usher in an era of education reform. But government auditors say many states are setting aside such grand plans and simply trying to stay afloat.

July 1st, 2009 Cameroon's president sacks prime ministerYAOUNDE, Cameroon — Cameroon's long-ruling president, Paul Biya, sacked his prime minister and reshuffled his cabinet, replacing key officials including the defense minister. Prime Minister Ephraim Inoni was replaced Tuesday by Philemon Yang, a senior official in the presidential office.

June 28th, 2009 TEGUCIGALPA - Soldiers Sunday arrested Honduras President Manuel Zelaya and confiscated documents from the executive mansion, various radio stations here reported. Though Zelaya's whereabouts were unclear, some reports said he had been taken to an air force base.

June 28th, 2009 MEXICO CITY - Honduran President Manuel Zelaya accused his military of abducting him and spiriting him to Costa Rica in his first televised interview after a coup Sunday morning. "There is no justification for this coup," said Zelaya in an interview with a Venezuelan broadcaster that was also carried by CNN.

June 26th, 2009 Chief Justice wrote of limits to Jackson acclaimWASHINGTON — Presidents named Reagan, Bush and Clinton applauded Michael Jackson in his lifetime. John Roberts, now the nation's chief justice, said there were limits to adulation of a pop star.

June 21st, 2009 COLOMBO - A senior Sri Lankan minister Sunday rejected reports that the government was considering moves to extend President Mahinda Rajapakse's term for another six years without an election. Anura Priyadharshana Yapa, the information and media minister, said in a statement that the wish of the president was to seek re-election following democratic norms.