In a sweeping political move that has stirred both celebration and outrage, Chad’s parliament has voted to scrap presidential term limits and extend the mandate from five to seven years — a change that effectively gives President Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno the legal room to rule indefinitely.
The amendment sailed through parliament on Friday, October 4, with 236 votes in favour and none against. Opposition lawmakers, however, boycotted the vote and stormed out of the chamber in protest. The near-unanimous decision underscores Déby’s tight grip on power, three years after inheriting leadership from his late father, Idriss Déby Itno, who ruled for three decades.
A shift wrapped in “stability”
Officials defended the new law as part of Chad’s plan to strengthen stability and national unity after years of political turbulence. But critics see it differently. They argue that Déby, 41, is consolidating control under the guise of reform — and that his “civilian transition” is turning into a lifetime presidency.
The amendment builds on a 2023 referendum-backed constitution that removed the two-term limit and extended the length of a single term. The changes will take effect from the next presidential election, potentially giving Déby the longest political runway in the nation’s history.
Opposition walks out
Former Prime Minister Albert Pahimi Padacké, who leads the opposition RNDT party, described the move as “unconstitutional and authoritarian.” He warned that Chad was drifting back into dynastic rule, where power circulates within one family rather than among citizens through free elections.
Rights activists have echoed his fears, warning that the reforms risk silencing dissent and shrinking democratic space in a country already battling insecurity and economic challenges.
Power or progress?
Supporters of the president insist the extension will allow for continuity in governance and economic rebuilding, while critics say it erases decades of democratic gains. With term limits gone and a seven-year cycle now in place, Déby’s influence over Chad’s political future appears more entrenched than ever.
