So who is the world's oldest head of state now? Who keeps track of this stuff?
BREAKING UPDATE: Of course I should have checked the googles before asking that last question. Here is an article from 2 years ago with a ranking. According to the article Queen Elizabeth is next after Mugabe. But she doesn't have real power, so I would drop down to President Essebsi of Tunisia. He is still in power, is now 90, and has 2 more years on his five year term. I guess you could argue that the real power lies in the Head of Government's office (what the Tunisians call their Prime Minister). But the President of Tunisia is not purely ceremonial. Anyone who commands the armed forces is a real leader. But if we were to declare Essebsi more ceremonial than not, I would breeze past Abdul Halim of Malaysia (both because he died last year and because when he was alive his office was purely ceremonial) and King Bhumibol Adulyadei of Thailand (also died last year, and never belonged on the "oldest" list in the first place because he was just the longest serving not oldest), to get us to King Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah of Kuwait. That guy is really in charge of the country and he is still alive too! If President Essebsi is out, then King Sabah is definitely the (old) man.
BREAKING UPDATE: Of course I should have checked the googles before asking that last question. Here is an article from 2 years ago with a ranking. According to the article Queen Elizabeth is next after Mugabe. But she doesn't have real power, so I would drop down to President Essebsi of Tunisia. He is still in power, is now 90, and has 2 more years on his five year term. I guess you could argue that the real power lies in the Head of Government's office (what the Tunisians call their Prime Minister). But the President of Tunisia is not purely ceremonial. Anyone who commands the armed forces is a real leader. But if we were to declare Essebsi more ceremonial than not, I would breeze past Abdul Halim of Malaysia (both because he died last year and because when he was alive his office was purely ceremonial) and King Bhumibol Adulyadei of Thailand (also died last year, and never belonged on the "oldest" list in the first place because he was just the longest serving not oldest), to get us to King Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah of Kuwait. That guy is really in charge of the country and he is still alive too! If President Essebsi is out, then King Sabah is definitely the (old) man.
