History Main / OnlyServesForLife

* On June 7th, 1975, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman declared himself PresidentForLife of {{UsefulNotes/Bangladesh}}, establishing a "unity government" that banned all political parties and independent press. He was assassinated later that year on August 15th.

* UsefulNotes/JuliusCaesar was named dictator for life in February of 44 BC. He was assassinated only a month later, in March of the same year. Whether he actually ''intended'' to remain dictator for the rest of his life is impossible to determine. While the title ''dictator perpetuo'' ("dictator in perpetuity") gave him the ''option'' of remaining in office for life, it's entirely possible that he intended to step down eventually but wanted to hold power for longer than the normal 6 month limit for a Roman dictator.

* UsefulNotes/JuliusCaesar was named dictator for life in February of 44 BC. He was assassinated only a month later, in March of the same year.

* In 1975, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman declared himself PresidentForLife of {{UsefulNotes/Bangladesh}}. He was assassinated later that year.

* UsefulNotes/JuliusCaesar was named dictator for life in February 44 BC. He was assassinated in March of the same year.

* [[UsefulNotes/Julius Ceasar]] was named dictator for life in February 44 BC. He was assassinated in March of the same year.

See also KlingonPromotion, InItForLife.

--> ''Vetinari on Moist von Lipwig's appointment as Master of the Mint in Discworld/MakingMoney''

* In the ''Comicbook/XWingSeries'' story arc "Mandatory Retirement", Ysanne Isard as part of her attempt to consolidate her control over what remains of the Galactic Empire, tries to recruit Admiral Krennel to her side. Krennel declines, saying he's pledged his loyalty to General Carvin (the official leader at the time) and that such allegiance is for life. Isard reminds Krennel that "life" is not synonymous with "long", and shortly afterward has Carvin assassinated.

** The Patrician of Anhk-Morpork serves for life as a dictator, but always with the understanding that if too many of the rich and important people decide he needs to go he'll be assassinated. The incumbent throughout the series (except for most of ''Discworld/NightWatch'', in which we get to see a previous Patrician play it very straight indeed) is Havelock Vetinari, who is so good at having that not happen to him that [[VetinariJobSecurity he has a trope about it named after him]].
** The jobs Vetinari gives [[BoxedCrook Moist von Lipwig]]. In ''Discworld/GoingPostal'' he reflects "Postmaster General was a job for life - one way or the other. That was why Vetinari had put him here". And in ''Discworld/MakingMoney'', Vetinari calls Moist's appointment as Master of the Mint "For life, possibly, but apparently not for long."

** {{Defied|Trope}} (or perhaps {{Invoked|Trope}} in {{Inver|tedTrope}}sion) when the Vatican, meeting for the second time in as many months, elected a 50-something cardinal to the Papacy in hopes they wouldn't have to have a conclave for at least a decade. [[AllAccordingToPlan It worked]]: John Paul II had the second-longest papacy in history (26 years) and none of the cardinals that voted then were eligible to vote for his successor[[note]]A cardinal must be under 80 to vote for a pope, and everyone who voted for John Paul II was too old (or too dead) to vote for Benedict XVI.[[/note]]

* {{Subverted|Trope}} by the UsefulNotes/{{North Korea}}n government. Despite Kim Il Sung's death in 1994, he retains the title of "Eternal President", thus making him the country's de jure head of state.

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* {{Invoked|Trope}} a few times by The {{Vatican}}, who elected an old or sick man as UsefulNotes/ThePope, hoping for a short and[=/=]or uneventful reign. It's been known to backfire when UsefulNotes/ThePope lived longer or was more active than expected.
** {{Defied|Trope}} (or perhaps {{Invoked|Trope}} in [[InvertedTrope Inversion]]) when the Vatican, meeting for the second time in as many months, elected a 50-something cardinal to the Papacy in hopes they wouldn't have to have a conclave for at least a decade. [[AllAccordingToPlan It worked]]: John Paul II had the second-longest papacy in history (26 years) and none of the cardinals that voted then were eligible to vote for his successor[[note]]A cardinal must be under 80 to vote for a pope, and everyone who voted for John Paul II was too old (or too dead) to vote for Benedict XVI.[[/note]]

* {{Subverted|Trope}} by the [[UsefulNotes/NorthKorea North Korean]] government. Despite Kim Il Sung's death in 1994, he retains the title of "Eternal President", thus making him the country's de jure head of state.

* In ''Film/LicenceToKill'', BigBad Sanchez warns the president of the BananaRepublic that he's "only PresidentForLife".

** The Patrician of Anhk-Morpork serves for life as a dictator, but always with the understanding that if too many of the rich and important people decide he needs to go he'll be assassinated.

** Note that she does not actually ''kill'' him, she just threatens to (she indicates to him that she ''just'' holds off from finishing the spell and so metaphorically holds his heart in her hands).

* {{Invoked|Trope}} a few times by The {{Vatican}}, who elected an old or sick man as ThePope, hoping for a short and[=/=]or uneventful reign. It's been known to backfire when ThePope lived longer or was more active than expected.

* In 1975, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman declared himself PresidentForLife of {{Bangladesh}}. He was assassinated later that year.

** {{Defied|Trope}} (or perhaps {{Invoked|Trope}} in [[InvertedTrope Inversion]]) when the Vatican, meeting for the second time in as many months, elected a 50-something cardinal to the Papacy in hopes they wouldn't have to have a conclave for at least a decade. [[ExactlyAsPlanned It worked]]: John Paul II had the second-longest papacy in history (26 years) and none of the cardinals that voted then were eligible to vote for his successor[[note]]A cardinal must be under 80 to vote for a pope, and everyone who voted for John Paul II was too old (or too dead) to vote for Benedict XVI.[[/note]]

** {{Defied|Trope}} ((Or perhaps {{Invoked|Trope}} in [[InvertedTrope Inversion]])) when the Vatican, meeting for the second time in as many months, elected a 50-something cardinal to the Papacy in hopes they wouldn't have to have a conclave for at least a decade. [[ExactlyAsPlanned It worked]]: John Paul II had the second-longest papacy in history (26 years) and none of the cardinals that voted then were eligible to vote for his successor[[note]]A cardinal must be under 80 to vote for a pope, and everyone who voted for John Paul II was too old (or too dead) to vote for Benedict XVI.[[/note]]

* In ''TheTamuli'', Sephrenia is dealing with another Styric, who uses the excuse that he holds his position for life. Sephrenia responds, "Precisely my point", and proceeds to cast a death spell.

* ''Tribesmen of {{Gor}}'': the way to become the head of Klima, a PenalColony/salt mine surrounded by hundreds of miles of desert, is to kill the current head. This also applies to lower ranking leaders. But bear in mind before you try to kill him - he successfully killed ''his'' predecessor. And [[KlingonPromotion so on]].

* Invoked in the {{Shadowrun}} sourcebook ''Cyberpirates''. While talking about the situation in Haiti, Shadowland poster The Gingerbread Man (a {{Pirate}}) states that the president of Haiti serves for life - and then notes that that term, in Haiti, averages out to about ten years, and that every outgoing president gets voted out "the old fashioned way - with an [[GatlingGood HK227]] (a model of submachine gun) to the back of the head."

** {{Defied|Trope}} when the Vatican, meeting for the second time in as many months, elected a 50-something cardinal to the Papacy in hopes they wouldn't have to have a conclave for at least a decade. [[ExactlyAsPlanned It worked]]: John Paul II had the second-longest papacy in history (26 years) and none of the cardinals that voted then were eligible to vote for his successor[[note]]A cardinal must be under 80 to vote for a pope, and everyone who voted for John Paul II was too old (or too dead) to vote for Benedict XVI.[[/note]]

** {{Defied|Trope}} when the Vatican, meeting for the second time in as many months, elected a 50-something cardinal to the Papacy in hopes they wouldn't have to have a conclave for at least a decade. [[ExactlyAsPlanned It worked]]: John Paul II had the second-longest papacy in history (26 years) and none of the cardinals that voted then were eligible to vote for his successor[[note]]A cardinal must be under 80 to vote for a pope, and everyone who voted for John Paul II were too old (or too dead) to vote for Benedict XVI.[[/note]]