Provisional results show Chad ruling party winning parliamentary majority
President Mahamat Idriss Deby reinforces hold on power
12 January 2025 - 13:14
byMahamat Ramadane
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
Chad's President Mahamat Idriss Deby. File photo: ISRAEL MATENE/REUTERS
N'Djamena — Chad’s ruling party won two-thirds of the seats in the legislative election which was boycotted by many in the opposition last month, provisional results showed on Sunday, reinforcing President Mahamat Idriss Deby’s hold on power.
Results of the December 29 election seal the oil-producing Central African nation’s transition to constitutional rule more than three years after Deby seized control after the sudden death of his father and long-standing predecessor Idriss Deby Itno.
Deby’s party, the Patriotic Salvation Movement, secured 124 of the 188 seats at the National Assembly, the national electoral body said. The participation rate was put at 51.56%.
The vote, which also included municipal and regional elections, was Chad’s first in more than a decade.
But opposition leader Succes Masra’s Transformateurs party and several others boycotted the election, saying the vote was skewed and lacked transparency. The government has denied this.
Deby was elected president in another disputed vote in May, three years after declaring himself interim leader when rebels killed his father on the battlefield.
Since Deby’s election, Chad — a key Western ally in the fight against Islamic militants in the Sahel region — ended its defence co-operation pact with France and threatened to withdraw from a regional multinational security force.
The severing of military ties with France echoes moves by Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso, which all kicked out French troops and fostered closer ties with Russia after a string of coups in West and Central Africa's Sahel region.
Last week security forces foiled an attack on the presidency that the government referred to as a “destabilisation attempt”.
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
Provisional results show Chad ruling party winning parliamentary majority
President Mahamat Idriss Deby reinforces hold on power
N'Djamena — Chad’s ruling party won two-thirds of the seats in the legislative election which was boycotted by many in the opposition last month, provisional results showed on Sunday, reinforcing President Mahamat Idriss Deby’s hold on power.
Results of the December 29 election seal the oil-producing Central African nation’s transition to constitutional rule more than three years after Deby seized control after the sudden death of his father and long-standing predecessor Idriss Deby Itno.
Deby’s party, the Patriotic Salvation Movement, secured 124 of the 188 seats at the National Assembly, the national electoral body said. The participation rate was put at 51.56%.
The vote, which also included municipal and regional elections, was Chad’s first in more than a decade.
But opposition leader Succes Masra’s Transformateurs party and several others boycotted the election, saying the vote was skewed and lacked transparency. The government has denied this.
Deby was elected president in another disputed vote in May, three years after declaring himself interim leader when rebels killed his father on the battlefield.
Since Deby’s election, Chad — a key Western ally in the fight against Islamic militants in the Sahel region — ended its defence co-operation pact with France and threatened to withdraw from a regional multinational security force.
The severing of military ties with France echoes moves by Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso, which all kicked out French troops and fostered closer ties with Russia after a string of coups in West and Central Africa's Sahel region.
Last week security forces foiled an attack on the presidency that the government referred to as a “destabilisation attempt”.
Reuters
Gabon announces presidential election on March 22
At least 20 killed in foiled bid to storm presidential compound in Chad
Mozambican opposition leader returns, claiming victory in poll
US imposes sanctions on rebel Sudanese leader
Ghana’s John Mahama sworn in for second term
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Most Read
Related Articles
At least 20 killed in foiled bid to storm presidential compound in Chad
40 soldiers die in attack on Chad military base
Chad’s premier Masra quits after Deby confirmed winner in disputed poll
Chadians vote in first poll since series of coups
Chad opposition leader’s death clouds Deby’s election run
Published by Arena Holdings and distributed with the Financial Mail on the last Thursday of every month except December and January.