Long-Serving Leaders

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe has held office for 28 years, but that falls well short of the world record. Here is a list of national leaders with unusual longevity in power.

GABON

Omar Bongo

Dec. 2, 1967

LIBYA

Moammar

Gaddafi

Sept. 1, 1969

MALDIVES

Maumoon Abdul

Gayoom

Nov. 11, 1978

EQUATORIAL

GUINEA

Teodoro Obiang

Aug. 3, 1979

ANGOLA

José Eduardo

dos Santos

Sept. 21, 1979

ZIMBABWE

Robert Mugabe

April 18, 1980

EGYPT

Hosni Mubarak

Oct. 14, 1981

Sources: Associated Press, World Almanac