Chad’s National Assembly has overwhelmingly approved sweeping constitutional amendments that significantly strengthen presidential powers, raising concerns over democratic backsliding and long-term political stability in the region.
The changes — passed with 171 votes in favor, one abstention, and none against — extend presidential terms from five to seven years and remove all term limits, allowing President Mahamat Idriss Déby to potentially rule indefinitely. The amendments will be sent to the Senate for final approval on 13 October, after which they will be signed into law. President Déby came to power in 2021 following the battlefield death of his father, Idriss Déby, who ruled Chad for three decades. After three years of military leadership, Mahamat Déby claimed victory in a disputed May 2024 election. His ruling party later secured a parliamentary majority in December.
Critics say the reforms represent a consolidation of power by the ruling elite. “There are fewer and fewer dissenting voices,” said Remadji Hoinathy of the Africa-focused Institute for Security Studies. “This clearly opens the possibility for the President and ruling party to establish a long-term stronghold on power.” The amendments also introduce a vice-prime minister role, extend parliamentary terms, and lift legal immunity for officials facing financial crimes. Analysts like Thomas Mandrup of Stellenbosch University and the Royal Danish Defence College warn that Chad’s political system is “sliding away from any democratic order,” with parliament acting as a “rubber stamp.”
The shift in Chad comes amid rising poverty and instability, with potential ripple effects across the Sahel region. “For democracy advocates, governance experts, regional organizations, and foreign partners, the test will now be how responses are structured, not merely in criticism, but in tangible support for resilient institutions, for voice, transparency, and legitimacy,” wrote journalist Joshua Muhammed in African Leadership Magazine blog.