Chad Parliament Approves Unlimited Seven-Year Presidential Terms
Chad’s parliament has approved a constitutional amendment extending presidential terms from five to seven years and removing limits on re-election.
The new measure, adopted on Friday, received 236 votes in favour with none against out of 257 lawmakers from both chambers.
President Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno, who took power in 2021 after the death of his father, Idriss Deby Itno, had initially promised an 18-month transition to civilian rule but later extended it by two years.
After a new constitution was passed in a December 2023 referendum, Deby, 41, won the May 2024 presidential election, which international observers described as lacking credibility.
The amendment states that the president will now serve a renewable seven-year term, replacing the previous five-year term that could only be renewed once.
According to the parliament, the extended mandate will take effect from the next presidential election.
The vote was brought forward from its original October 13 date.
Members of the opposition National Rally of Chadian Democrats-The Awakening (RNDT) staged a walkout before the vote, protesting what they described as an abuse of power.
Former prime minister and RNDT leader Albert Pahimi Padacke condemned the decision in a letter to lawmakers, calling the amendment “unconstitutional and authoritarian.”
Titilope Adako is a talented and intrepid journalist, dedicated to shedding light on the untold stories of Osun State and Nigeria. Through incisive reporting, she tackles a broad spectrum of topics, from politics and social justice to culture and entertainment, with a commitment to accuracy, empathy, and inspiring positive change.
