Friday, October 8, 1999 Published at 08:25 GMT 09:25 UK

Should there be a retiring age for politicians?

In India, we respect our elders, their experience and their knowledge, we do not suffer from ageism as they do in certain self-styled 'advanced countries' Mohansingh, India Everyone else has a mandatory retiring age and politicians should be no different . They are just as likely to suffer from mental degeneration as anyone else. Claire Ommi, UK Just two of the comments Talking Point received. Read more below. Background Your reaction

The Background:
India has one of the youngest body of voters in the world. The current general elections were deliberately delayed so that many first-time voters could be added to the rolls. Yet, many of its politicians are old. Many of the country's top positions are held by people over the age of 60. There seems to be a growing sense of disillusionment among India's youth who feel that the wrong generation of politicians is running the country. Many of their concerns, which include rising unemployment and inadequate education facilities are not addressed by politicians. India's recent consumer boom was fuelled by a growing young middle class. But many of India's brightest leave the country at the earliest opportunity. There is a fear that India's progress is being checked by its leaders who are not in touch with reality. Do you feel that India needs a new generation of leaders? Should there be a retiring age for polticians?

<>Background Your reaction

Your Reaction:
The Ministrial candidates must have specialization/expertise in their area viz. the communication minister must have a degree in communication. D.S.Mishra, United Arab Emirates Politicians in India also administer the Country. Country needs young, progressive, forward looking and able leadership and hence politicians above 60 years be banned from holding any public office. Also educational qualification be a must for holding public office. Sribaschha Joshi, Thailand Irrespective of the country, type of political system, social ideologies or people's educational level, history shows that political leaders dwell in the seats of power. This must stop and one of the ways is through mandatory retirement. Sunil Bharati, Norway I strongly believe that there should be retirement age for the politicians as well as some rules to restrict them that they can be in politics/power only for a certain period only. Raj Menon, United Arab Emirates Yes, they should retire at 50. Before they make stupid policy choices due to outdated views on right and wrong. Obviously these people took to many drugs in the sixties, which has now clouded their view on reality Kevin Turnbull, England There should not only be a retirement age at 65 maximum, but also a stipulation that all should have a Degree in the field they have the portfolio. We need people who have done good education and understand what the future could be for their next generation. G. Radhakrishnan, Dubai It has been widely seen that politicians, like other human beings, become senile and start making clouded decisions. The best thing to do would be to let a younger one take over as he will have better knowledge about the current issues facing the general public. Amitabh Ghuwalewala, India Politicians should be allowed to contest only three times in his lifetime, irrespective of his win or loss in the elections. This will break the hegemony of few people over the country. Ogale, India These parasites should not be allowed to live off the people as long as they wish!!!! P.J. Mathai, India New talent and dynamism is an important ingredient for politics as well. Ranga, USA The response is "NO" there should be no written law capping politicians. What needs to happen is politicians should develop the psyche to question themselves about their moral right to contest. This psyche is just evolving in India. India's opposition is just learning to be constructive opposition and not fight for every issue baselessly and disrupt governance with malicious, false and petty

scandals. As long as the political Diaspora does not develop the psyche of individual assessment and questioning, any form of legal limits will kill the evolution process of "Republic of India - 1947". I say Republic 1947 coz, politics is not new to India, it is older than several civilisations. In the present context of the political system has not achieved its aged old glory in the days of Bharath. Democracy is not new to India, these values were enshrined in our civilisation, the 1947 Republic is still far away from the maturity of Bharath. Desh Premi, India Limiting the number of terms (probably 2) that a person can hold any elected position will reduce the crimes committed by most of the politicians that are currently holding public offices Subrahmanyam Kondaveeti, USA Few politicians (even humans!) can be expected to perform well in a high stress area of endeavour such as politics. Inevitably, physical and mental fatigue sets in, and more importantly, politicians (e.g., Thatcher, Breznev, Suharto) start to run out of ideas. Managing fast moving change in the political context requires the influx of new ideas, creativity, and energy. It also requires the development of political leadership in the younger generation. To nurture leadership, older politicians should retire if passion, ideas and creativity are on the wane, and prevent political and social stagnation. Raja Panwar, Canada Yes indeed! Politicians should resign. In my opinion after crossing 65 years, one should not allowed to continue in active politics and if 65 is "too early", we can bear up to 70 years, but no more that. After 70s it will definitely affect the physical, mental and intellectual status / capacity of a person to take firm and appropriate decisions at the right time, as well as to execute them properly. But unfortunately in India most of the politicians will start holding their office only after their 70s. Manoj Matthew Philip, Bahrain I think that these old guns should retire from politics as young politician are there to pick up the job and maybe with their new ideas they can make new policies and come up with better system of ruling. Dinesh Patel, Malaysia Age limit for retirement of politicians should be between 60-65. But exception can be made in cases where politician has crossed this age limit subject to being healthy and medically fit. Because, it is not worth to have an unhealthy politician to serve a nation with so much of corruption, national and international security problems T.K. Srinivas, India The Indian leaders stick to the power irrespective of their ability or devotion - So they must be retired by force of "law". Bal Suri, Australia I do not think binding them with the age is rational. But certainly they do need to move ahead and pave way for the other leaders to take lead. How can a country's destiny depend on a few old and wise leaders. The leader should himself decide on the time to step ahead for the others to take that place. Julie Poulose, India Politicians as in every other field must retire. Maybe a little latter. It is generally agreed Young blood can bring new, fresh, revolutionary ideas. Under the guidance of not so old, they can create a new, peaceful world.

Guru Srinivasan, India According to Vedic/Hindu scriptures, a man has to retire from all mundane activities (sanyasa) when he is old enough. Politicians ought to retire by 70 years of age. S.S. Simha, Botswana India is a country with diversified culture and beliefs. Elderly people are being respected in the society by everyone. More than 60% of the politicians in this country are above 60+. Though these political leaders might be having maturity and wider experience in governance, their continuity leads to many other irregularities. To overcome this, there must be a self-imposed exile for contesting the elections by these politicians, so that young people who are highly qualified and dynamic, can able to do some thing better to the country. Though we got the independence before 52 years, elimination of poverty, illiteracy and unemployment still remains the standard poll manifesto of Indian politicians. How many more decades do these politicians want to eradicate the above economic disparities from this country? A. Purushothaman, India The technology is changing everyday So the retiring age will give the younger generation a chance to contribute their ability and knowledge to the public. And I would suggest the older politicians to serve the public by giving advises to the younger generation. Joseph Kurian, India Yes politicians need a retirement age. They become less receptive to changes in the society and the structure and goals of an established government, as they age. Younger politicians who can change with time faster than elders need to replace their seniors. Rajiv Vaidyanath, USA Yes, politicians should retire! I've seen situations in India where charismatic politicians "lead" the country in their senility, missing the latest trends in global technology due to their lack of understanding, prejudices and so on. They are usually keeping the seat warm for their children as well in almost every case. So my response would be an unequivocal "yes". Srinivas Rangaraj, Canada Specific jobs have retirement ages, because the job is too strenuous for older people to handle, or is too risky to be given to older people. Conversely, some jobs need to have a minimum level, as the level of skill required needs the person to be above a certain age. The principle of having a retirement age for politicians is not valid, as there is no risk attached to the job, nor is it too strenuous for older people. Probably, all that we can have is a restriction on the number of consecutive terms that a politician can hold office or be a Member of Parliament. G Krishnamurthy, India Politics should be a profession with proper education and experience in Political sciences. It should never be a retirement Occupation of senile members of the society. How can there be progress with illiterate, over-aged politician who are nothing but Mafia's and a kind of disease which is spreading uncontrolled. There must a awakening of New Generation of Politics! It could be still Clean! Rajeev Pradhan, Bahrain I would like to point out that in May 1940, Winston Churchill was appointed Prime Minister at the age of 65. Adrian James, UK expat Politics is not a job like any other. It is not a hobby either. It is -- or should be -- about competent and honest people handling public affairs in a responsible manner. For some, hanging on to the

position eventually becomes an end in itself even after they have outlived their usefulness; a compulsory retirement age for them is in the public interest. Only a few, very few, very exceptional individuals can carry on for longer. Peter, Netherlands What's age got to do with anything? How do you explain Mahatma Gandhi, Churchill, De Gaulle, FDR, Golda Meir, Mandela, Julius Nyrere? What we need is a scoundrel detector (similar to lie detectors, only hardier). Shiran, Ontario, Canada. Mandatory age is very important since politicians would know when they have to pass on the leadership to someone younger to them. Then there will not be any dictators around in the world. Joseph C. Selvamoney, Malaysia Here goes the BBC once more! Using "age" as as device to explore its own narrow prejudices against India. Churchill, McMillan, Whitelaw, Wilson, Callaghan, to name a few have as senior citizens, held senior positions in UK Govt. Why have you not debated this issue then? We have also had and continue to have, Reagan, Yeltsin, a veritable assortment of Japanese pensioners, not to mention the grey men of Red China! Why have the BBC not used their pictures in this Talking Point? Do not fool us! You just do not like the idea of India being governed by the BJP/NDA under the prime ministership of Vajpayee. It would be better if you tried a little more subtlety in your approach in future. JAY, UK It seems to me that our era is obsessed with the idea of retiring everyone after 60 years of age and consigning them to "vegetation centres" where they may finally rot intellectually. Either that or how about the "final solution" of mandatory euthanasia? Thank God we still have elderly people in positions of importance. Could you imagine governments full of Nick Leesons and Bill Gates ripping off the state and trying to gain unfair advantages over competitors in the market place? We need the smoothing hand and the steady nerve of the silver-grey haired in all departments of life. Youth isn't everything! Hugh LS MacCamley Langer, Brunei If there is retirement in every field, then why not in politics? Anup Shah, India Politicians are not indispensable, they should retire and make way for youth with new and fresh Ideas. Pradeep Nambiar, USA The new blood is essential to bring changes and eliminate old styles and corruption Gautam Pancholy, India I strongly agree and I think it is time for the Prime Minister of Malaysia to step down since we have been seeing him on TV for about 20 years. C K Cheah, Malaysia Over the past five thousand years of recorded civilization (less in the West), age was equated with knowledge, wisdom, and judgement. The more able elders counseled their communities, and were obeyed and respected. This arrangement seemed to work well. In a span of perhaps no more than fifty years, this time-tested practice has been challenged, and to a large degree overturned by the younger members of society. The world has changed, and wise counsel is no longer the most important function of government. Leader's today are sought, more for what they promise to deliver in terms of benefits--someone else's tax money, than for what they have to offer in the way

of genuine good governance. Without question, rapid communications have enabled this. Technology has made it possible for those seeking power to put their spiel before the public. At the same time, those with something to sell have exploited the technology to hawk their wares and to create a demand for it. Those who provide the technology have become the ones who are able to shape the attitudes and thoughts of those to whom the technology is provided. In these circles, the elders must be pushed out of the way. This, sadly, is what has happened. As a society, we pay more attention to the words of a young and attractive person on the tube, than to those who have been around long enough to know how everything works. It's a pity, but it will probably get worse. The answer to the question is that if you don't like the politician, don't vote for him. Mandatory retirement age doesn't apply in this line of work. Jim Hubbell, Texas It is not a question of age but quality. New Zealand has just removed a law requiring compulsory retirement at age 60 and the sky did not fall in. People must have a choice and on the question of politicians the electorate should decide. The fact is that in this country, and I dare say many others, younger people tend not to be too interested in politics. Bill Wright, New Zealand I firmly believe that politicians should not have retirement ages as it would bar many experienced bureaucrats and technocrats whom look towards community service after successful careers. However I firmly believe that they should have fixed terms so that they work for just some time and give way to fresh blood. Kunal Shah, United States The effectiveness of a political leader is based upon a number of factors. Experience, training, physical condition, and mental status. Age is not important. Many senior citizens are more capable of governing effectively than others. So, the question of a 'mandatory age retirement' is ludicrous. It has no purpose, other than to favour such discriminatory practices that come under 'ageism'. Further, new medications, the longer life expectancy, and technological advances have a positive effect on older people. Each case should be based upon the particular circumstances of each person. To do otherwise, is discrimination. Dave Adams, USA Absolutely! Why? Because it's just a job. All jobs have certain responsibilities that come with the post, some jobs require physical fitness - you don't see many 60-year old firemen. Other jobs require a fit and active mind - in this case politicians. Cast your mind back to Ronald Reagan's state of mind during his last term... funny at the time, but thinking about the amount of power the guy wielded at the time, not really much of a joke at all, is it. So, no guys, you get old, you retire, lets face it, you have as much right to that little pause at the end of your life as the rest of us. David W. UK Who decides on what age and on what basis? Jan Fellstrom, UK Rather than have an age limit I would prefer to have an IQ test with a minimum IQ requirement. Perhaps then we would get some sense into politics. Greg McC, UK Having a global retiring age would represent a ridiculous generalisation. Why do we need one, it is up to the individual who they do or do not vote for? Martin Barnes, UK

In India, we respect our elders, their experience and their knowledge. In a democracy, both the young and the old as well as the rich and the poor; the educated and the uneducated have equal rights and equal opportunities. In India we do not suffer from ageism as they do in certain selfstyled 'advanced countries' Mohansingh, India Just as in any profession there should be an age at which a politician should retire. The older they get the more detached they become from the needs of the real world and younger voters. A Bandeet, India No one, not even politicians, should have to retire because of age. If they are fit to perform their duties in the eyes of the voters they should be able to continue. I would rather have a limit of, say two full terms, for the senior positions such as Prime minister. That is likely to inject new ideas and fresh blood. By the way, although BBC pretends to be impartial but your picture of this talking point is a subtle give away of your bias towards Sonia Gandhi (who is of similar age as Jaylalitha) by her absence. There are two important leaders of BJP in the picture but none from Congress, the other main party. Sanjeev Dandekar, Australia Just as in any profession there should be an age at which a politician should retire. The older they get the more detached they become from the needs of the real world and younger voters. A Bandeet, India No, experience is the greatest school of life. The interpretation is personal. T. P. Pareek, Germany Politicians should be subjected to a battery of tests every year for mental and physical fitness, regardless of age. If they fail they should quit their posts and focus on improving their scores. If nothing else, this will save costly foreign exchange spent on ailing politicians who go abroad for treatments, as well as spare us embarrassment of catching them dozing off at important meetings. Pradeep, USA Everyone else has a mandatory retiring age and politicians should be no different . They are just as likely to suffer from mental degeneration as anyone else. Claire Ommi, UK If you think that someone is too old then don't vote for them. Simple as that. A capable & popular politician shouldn't have to retire because they are old! Let their policies and actions speak for themselves. Matt, Ireland Surely one of the key points of democracy is that in addition to the right to vote you should have the right to put forward your views and stand for election. This aspect of democracy should not be denied to someone just because they have reached a certain age.