Chad’s National Assembly has overwhelmingly approved controversial constitutional amendments that extend the presidential term from five to seven years and remove restrictions on the number of times a president may seek re-election. The move has sparked concerns among analysts and opposition figures that it will entrench long-term authoritarian control in the country.
The sweeping revisions are the latest political developments under President Mahamat Idriss Déby, who came to power in April 2021 following the death of his father, President Idriss Déby, on the battlefield while visiting troops engaged in fighting northern militias. The younger Déby initially led a transitional military council before consolidating his position through a disputed election in May 2024, which followed three years of military rule. That election, criticized by opposition leaders and observers for irregularities, was swiftly followed by parliamentary polls in December that delivered a decisive majority of seats to the ruling party, further consolidating Déby’s authority.
On Monday, the National Assembly passed the constitutional amendments by an overwhelming margin: 171 lawmakers voted in favor, with just one abstention and no opposition, according to Assembly President Ali Kolotou Tchaimi. The proposed changes are now scheduled to go before the Senate on October 13. If passed, they will be sent to the president for enactment into law, virtually guaranteeing their implementation given the ruling party’s dominance.
Experts and analysts argue that the amendments are a deliberate attempt to secure long-term control by Déby and his allies. Remadji Hoinathy, a senior researcher at the Institute for Security Studies, described the changes as a calculated effort to suppress dissent and consolidate power. “There are fewer and fewer dissenting voices,” he explained. “This clearly opens the possibility for the president and ruling party to establish a long-term stronghold on power.”
The developments come against the backdrop of a wider regional trend of democratic backsliding in West and Central Africa, where a string of coups and extended military-led transitions have raised concerns about governance and stability. Chad was the first junta-led state in the region to hold an election following the recent wave of coups, but its legitimacy has remained contested. Opposition leader and former Prime Minister Succès Masra also claimed victory in the May 2024 presidential poll. However, his challenge was swiftly quashed; he later resigned and, in August, was sentenced to 20 years in prison on charges of inciting violence, a ruling widely seen by his supporters as politically motivated.
Critics warn that the constitutional overhaul risks entrenching Chad’s cycle of authoritarian rule, with limited space for opposition voices or political pluralism. Supporters of the reforms, however, argue that extending presidential terms will promote political stability and continuity in a country that has faced decades of conflict, insurgency, and fragile governance structures.
As the October Senate vote approaches, few doubt the outcome. Analysts expect the amendments to sail through with little resistance, further consolidating the Déby family’s grip on power nearly 34 years after Idriss Déby first seized leadership in 1990. The developments place Chad at the center of ongoing debates about governance, democracy, and power transitions in Africa’s Sahel region, where insecurity and political instability continue to undermine prospects for democratic growth.
