By Muhammad Mamman
Chad’s Parliament has greenlit a constitutional overhaul, scrapping presidential term limits and paving the way for Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno to rule indefinitely. The amendment, backed by 236 of 257 MPs on Friday, extends Deby’s term from five to seven years and allows him to run for office without end. Opposition MPs boycotted the vote, branding it “unconstitutional and authoritarian,” while opposition leader Albert Pahimi Padacke slammed the move. Deby’s current term gains two extra years, cementing his grip on power.
Deby, 41, seized control in 2021 after his father, Idriss Deby, who ruled for 30 years, died. He clinched a disputed election in May 2024. In August, opposition figure Succes Masra was jailed for 20 years for allegedly inciting violence.
