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Lawmakers in Chad have passed a constitutional amendment that would extend the presidential term from five to seven years and remove term limits.
The bill, proposed by the ruling Patriotic Salvation Movement (MPS), was approved by a vote of 171 to 1 in the lower house.
The amendment is set to be formally adopted by the Senate on October 13, provided it receives the required three-fifths majority. If passed, it will allow the president to be elected for an unlimited number of seven-year terms, a significant change from the previous constitution, which limited the president to a single five-year, renewable term.
In addition to the changes to the presidency, the constitutional reform also includes the creation of a deputy prime minister position, extends the term of parliament members from five to six years, and removes immunity for government members, making them accountable for financial crimes in ordinary courts.
The current president, Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno, was elected in May 2024 after a constitutional referendum and previously served as transitional president following the death of his father, Idriss Deby, who had ruled the country for over three decades.
