This Asian country just voted for their president to rule forever

Tajikistan elects eternal president.
(Image credit: STR/AFP/Getty Images)

The Central Asian country of Tajikistan has voted to abolish presidential term limits solely for their authoritarian president, Emomali Rahmon. The decision will effectively allow him to rule until the end of his life.

An overwhelming 94.5 percent of voters were in favor of the amendment to the national constitution, which also lowered the minimum age for Tajik presidential candidates to 30, apparently so Rahmon's 29-year-old son can run in the 2020 election.

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Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.