Nairobi — A sweeping amendment to Chad’s constitution that removes presidential term limits poses a severe threat to the rule of law and democratic governance, according to Human Rights Watch. The revision, fast-tracked through both chambers of Parliament in early October, effectively paves the way for President Mahamat Idriss Déby to remain in office indefinitely, undermining prospects for meaningful democratic transition in line with international standards on elections and political participation.
Constitutional reform strips away key safeguards
« Removing presidential term limits dismantles a vital safeguard against authoritarianism, » said Lewis Mudge, Central Africa Director at Human Rights Watch. « Instead of strengthening democratic norms that allow for periodic, free, and fair elections, the government has entrenched a one-man rule system. »
The amendments were finalized by the president on October 3, following accelerated parliamentary approval after mid-September votes. The dominant Mouvement patriotique du salut (MPS) pushed the changes through with a large majority, eliminating term limits and extending each presidential term from five to seven years. Several opposition lawmakers boycotted the vote, denouncing the process as unconstitutional and illegitimate.
The government has defended the constitutional changes as technical in nature, but critics argue they enshrine indefinite rule for Mahamat Idriss Déby, who has led Chad since seizing power in 2021 following the death of his father, former President Idriss Déby Itno, who ruled for three decades.
The removal of term limits also eliminates a constitutional check that ensures peaceful power transitions. Without this protection, a single party could dominate the presidency indefinitely. This move reflects a broader trend across Central Africa, where governments increasingly use constitutional amendments to consolidate power—a phenomenon some experts call « constitutional coups. » Despite Chad’s commitment to the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance, which prohibits amendments that undermine democratic alternation, this reform deepens the MPS’s grip on power.
Erosion of democratic institutions
Prior to the 2021 elections—held just before the elder Déby’s death—security forces violently dispersed peaceful opposition protests in N’Djamena, deploying tear gas, beatings, and arbitrary arrests against activists and opposition figures.
Following Idriss Déby Itno’s death, the military, led by his son Mahamat Idriss Déby, seized control of the country. Despite promises of a democratic transition, authorities have instead pursued a familiar pattern of power consolidation and political repression, Human Rights Watch reports. The military-led transition that followed violated the 2018 Constitution, which required the National Assembly president to serve as interim leader for 45 to 90 days before new elections.
Violence peaked in October 2022 when protesters demanded a civilian-led transition. Security forces responded with live fire, killing multiple demonstrators and detaining hundreds, many of whom were sent to the notorious Koro Toro prison in northern Chad.
In May 2025, opposition leader and former Prime Minister Succès Masra was arrested in N’Djamena on charges including incitement to hatred and violence. After a politically motivated trial, he was sentenced to 20 years in prison and fined one billion CFA francs. He remains incarcerated.
History repeating itself
This is not the first time Chad has removed presidential term limits. The late Idriss Déby Itno abolished them in 2005, enabling his decades-long rule until his death in 2021. A two-term limit was reinstated in 2018 with extended five-to-six-year terms, allowing him to run for two additional terms before his death. His son’s decision to remove term limits again—just seven years after their restoration—highlights how constitutional manipulation has become a tool for power retention.
Chadian authorities should restore presidential term limits and ensure any constitutional reform process is transparent and inclusive. Opposition leaders who boycotted the parliamentary vote have called for a national referendum to validate the changes. A similar referendum was held in 2023 to approve a new constitution ending military rule.
Officials must also halt politically motivated prosecutions, release imprisoned opposition leaders like Succès Masra, and uphold freedom of expression and assembly.
« Repression has become routine in Chad, and now the Constitution itself is being rewritten to further restrict citizens’ rights, » said Lewis Mudge. « Without credible mechanisms for democratic power transfer, institutions like Parliament, the judiciary, and the press lose their ability to hold the executive accountable. »
