Chadian President Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno. Photo: Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno/X
Chad’s parliament voted decisively on Friday to pass a constitutional amendment eliminating presidential term limits and extending the presidential term to seven years, a move met with sharp criticism from opposition groups.
President Mahamat Deby, initially appointed transitional president by military leaders in 2021 following the death of his father, Idriss Deby Itno, in a clash with rebels, was elected head of state in May 2024. The election, which granted him a five-year term, was marred by controversy and boycotted by most opposition parties.
The constitutional amendment, proposed by Deby’s Patriotic Salvation Movement (MPS), passed with 236 votes in favor out of 257 lawmakers, with no votes in opposition. Members of the opposition National Rally of Chadian Democrats — The Awakening (RNDT) boycotted the session, exiting the chamber in protest.
Max Kemkoye, spokesperson for the opposition Group of Political Actors Consultation, condemned the decision, stating to AFP, “The MPS and the republic are now indistinguishable.” In a letter to lawmakers, RNDT leader and former Prime Minister Albert Pahimi Padacke labeled the amendment “unconstitutional and authoritarian.”
Key Changes in the Amendment
The reform replaces the current five-year presidential term, renewable once, with a seven-year term that can be renewed without limit. This change will apply starting with the next presidential election. Kemkoye, in a Friday Facebook post, criticized the amendment as effectively granting Deby “two additional years” in power.
Additional provisions include:
- Extending parliamentary terms from five to six years.
- Establishing the role of deputy prime minister.
- Restoring immunity for government officials.
Political Context
Chad held parliamentary elections in January and February 2025, the first since 2015, alongside a historic first vote for the Senate. The MPS secured a significant victory, though the opposition, including the Transformers party, dismissed the process as a “resounding failure” due to widespread boycotts and allegations of manipulated results.
Transformers leader Succes Masra, a prominent critic of Deby, was sentenced to 20 years in prison in August 2025 for allegedly inciting violence in Mandakao, where 42 people, mostly women and children, were killed. His legal team denounced the trial as a politically motivated misuse of the judiciary.
The constitutional changes have deepened concerns among opposition groups about the consolidation of power in Chad, a nation still grappling with the legacy of decades of instability.
