Chad: presidential term extended to seven years, term limits removed
Chad’s National Assembly adopted by an overwhelming majority a constitutional reform that extends the presidential term from five to seven years, while removing term limits.
Mahamat Idriss Deby, Président du Tchad @ Africa Intelligence
The bill, promoted by the Patriotic Salvation Movement (MPS), the ruling party, also changes other important provisions: deputies’ terms move from five to six years, and the post of Deputy Prime Minister is established to strengthen government coordination.
A near-unanimous vote
Of the 188 deputies in the chamber, 171 voted in favor of the reform, one vote opposed it, and no deputy abstained. Several opposition members, meanwhile, boycotted or left the session, denouncing the unilateral nature of the process.
The adopted text must now be sent to the Senate. It will be examined in Congress, a joint parliamentary session scheduled for October 13, 2025, where a three-fifths majority will be required for it to be definitively promulgated.
Reactions and concerns
The President of the National Assembly, Ali Kolotou Tchaïmi, stressed that this vote constitutes a “consideration” rather than an immediate amendment of all the Constitution’s provisions.
The opposition, for its part, fears a drift toward more concentrated, less controlled power, and worries that the absence of limits on the number of presidential terms could open the door to an authoritarian regime.