2024 Chadian parliamentary election

2024 Chadian parliamentary election
← 2011 29 December 2024
All 188 seats in the National Assembly
95 seats are needed for a majority
 
Leader Haroun Kabadi Saleh Kebzabo Sande Ngaryimbé
Party MPS UNDR URD
Last election 134 seats 12 seats 8 seats
Seats needed Steady Increase 83 Increase 87
 
Leader Albert Pahimi Padacké Ngarlejy Yorongar
Party RNDT FAR
Last election 8 seats 4 seats
Seats needed Increase 87 Increase 91
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Parliamentary elections were held in Chad on 29 December 2024, along with elections for regional and local offices.[1] These are the first legislative elections to be held in Chad since 2011, and the first since the death of long-time ruler Idriss Déby in 2021,[2] and the accession to leadership of his son, Mahamat Déby, first as leader of a military junta then as president in his own right, laying the groundwork for a hereditary dictatorship.

Background

The last parliamentary term that began in June 2011 was originally scheduled to end in June 2015 but was extended.[3] President Idriss Déby announced on 2 February 2017 that the election would be delayed because the government did not have sufficient funds in the midst of an economic slump: "When we have resources, we can hold parliamentary elections". He also urged the opposition to engage in dialogue and "stop cultivating hatred that results in dividing the country".[4]

In June 2017, members of the FONAC opposition coalition argued that the National Assembly became illegitimate by continuing to sit beyond 21 June, two years after the extension of the parliamentary term, and that deputies from the opposition should consequently resign. Opposition deputies led by Saleh Kebzabo responded that they would not resign, feeling that it would be more "useful" for them to remain in the National Assembly; however, they also said that the next election should be held promptly, dismissing Déby's view that the delay was necessary due to a lack of funds and that in the future the government should make every effort to hold elections on time.[3]

The election was later rescheduled to November 2018.[5] When this deadline too was not met, a new one of May 2019 was proposed by the government.[6] The new National Independent Elections Commission (CENI) was sworn in by the Supreme Court on 4 April 2019 despite protests by segments of the opposition regarding its impartiality.[7] On 5 April, the Coordination des Partis Politiques pour la Défense de la Constitution (CPDC) comprising a dozen opposition parties controlling 31 seats in the 188-seat National Assembly rejected the swearing-in, calling it "illegally constituted, null and void and of no effect."[8] The country's election board said “the realistic time frame for holding legislative elections is the first quarter of 2020”.[9] At the beginning of that year a date was set for 9 August 2020, shortly thereafter amended to 13 December, citing increased attacks by Boko Haram around Lake Chad.[10][11] With the COVID-19 pandemic the election was postponed yet again to April, then October 2021, and later September 2022.[12][13][14] The junta later announced a further postponement of elections for two years, scheduling elections for around October 2024.[15]

On 21 August 2024, the National Election Management Agency (ANGE) announced that parliamentary and local elections would be held on 29 December 2024.[1] The submission of candidacies ran from 19 to 28 October, while final election results are expected on 3 February 2025.[1] On 13 November, ANGE released a provisional list of candidates, in which it rejected the applications of 46 of 179 political parties and coalitions as well as 103 of 1,260 individuals. Among those disqualified were the ruling MPS's secretary general, Mahamat Zen Bada, citing a previous conviction for forgery, and five other MPS officials, who were also disqualified on similar grounds.[16] On 25 November the Constitutional Council approved 1,329 candidates.[17]

In October 2024, the country's largest opposition party, Les Transformateurs, and 15 other opposition parties, said that they would boycott the election, citing concerns about a "corrupt" electoral register and a lack of guarantees that the election would be free and fair.[18][19]

Electoral system

The members of the National Assembly are elected from constituencies coterminous with the Departments of Chad, plus the arrondissements of N'Djamena and one constituency for voters abroad. Each constituency is allocated seats based on its population. In constituencies with one seat, first-past-the-post voting is used. In multi-member constituencies, a party winning over 50% of the vote wins all the seats; if no party wins over 50% of the vote, seats are allocated proportionally using the largest remainders method.

The minimum voting age is 18. All Chadian citizens not prohibited from voting by the Electoral Code are eligible to participate.

For the 2024 election, around eight million people were registered to vote.[20]

Conduct

Voting began at 06:00 and closed at 18:00. The opposition Democratic Party of the Chadian People (PDPT) accused the MPS of establishing "fraud networks" and said that more than a thousand ballots meant to be used in Bongor had disappeared. Coverage of the election by domestic private media outlets was also restricted after the government refused to grant subsidies.[21] More than 100 international observers and representatives of political parties were deployed to monitor the vote. Early voting was held on 28 December for members of the Chad National Army and nomads, with ANGE noting a turnout of more than 72% among soldiers and 54% among nomads. By noon on 29 December however, overall turnout was at 38%.[22]

Results

Provisional results were published on 12 January 2025,[23] showing that the ruling Patriotic Salvation Movement party won 124 out of 188 seats on a voter turnout of 51.5%.[24] Official results are expected to be published later in January.[25]

PartyVotes%
Patriotic Salvation Movement
National Union for Democracy and Renewal
Union for Renewal and Democracy
National Rally of Chadian Democrats
Federation, Action for the Republic
Other parties
Independents
Total
Registered voters/turnout8,204,830–
Source: Tchad Infos

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "Chad schedules legislative, provincial, and municipal elections for December 29". Africanews. 22 August 2024. Retrieved 22 August 2024.
  2. ^ "Chad votes in parliamentary election boycotted by opposition as military rule ends". Associated Press. 29 December 2024. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
  3. ^ a b Tchad : sommés par le front de l'opposition de quitter l'Assemblée, des députés refusent de démissionner Jeune Afrique, 22 June 2017 (in French)
  4. ^ Chad's Deby postpones parliamentary election due to lack of resources Africa News, 3 February 2017
  5. ^ Chad's president Idriss Deby says legislative elections to be held in November Africa News, 7 April 2018
  6. ^ Céni: les nouveaux membres prêtent serment devant la Cour suprême Le Pays, 4 April 2019
  7. ^ Tchad: l'opposition divisée sur la suspension de sa participation à la Céni RFI, 2 April 2019
  8. ^ Tchad : la CPDC dénonce une "absence de lucidité" du Gouvernement Al Widha, 6 April 2019
  9. ^ Chad legislative elections postponed to 2020 AfricaNews, 4 October 2019
  10. ^ Legislative in Chad on August 9? "We are going in circles" denounce some Radio France Internationale, 8 January 2020
  11. ^ Chad: legislative elections set for December 13 Jeune Afrique, 15 February 2020
  12. ^ Henningsen, Troels Burchall (15 September 2021). "Chad has a new roadmap: why it may lead to more of the same, and not democracy". The Conversation. Retrieved 23 January 2022.
  13. ^ Legislative elections postponed again in Chad Deutsche Welle, 8 June 2020
  14. ^ In Chad, legislative elections postponed for five years are set for October 24, 2021 Le Monde, 3 July 2020
  15. ^ Ramadane, Mahamat (3 October 2022). "Junta set to stay in power after Chad delays elections by two years". Reuters. Retrieved 29 October 2022.
  16. ^ "Chad's electoral body disqualifies senior ruling party official". Africanews. 13 November 2024. Retrieved 13 November 2024.
  17. ^ "Législatives du 29 décembre : le Conseil constitutionnel valide 1 329 candidatures". Tchad Infos. 25 November 2024.
  18. ^ "Some Chadian opposition parties to boycott Dec. 29 legislative, provincial, and municipal polls". Africanews. 13 October 2024. Retrieved 13 October 2024.
  19. ^ "Leading opposition in Chad announces boycott of legislative elections". Africanews. 21 October 2024. Retrieved 21 October 2024.
  20. ^ "Chad votes in parliamentary election". Africanews. 29 December 2024. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
  21. ^ "Chad votes in triple elections after three years of military rule". France 24. 29 December 2024. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
  22. ^ "Chad votes in general election after three years of army rule". France 24. 29 December 2024. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
  23. ^ "Tchad: proclamation des résultats provisoires globaux des législatives du 29 décembre". Radio France International. 12 January 2025. Retrieved 12 January 2025.
  24. ^ "Chad's ruling party wins majority in parliamentary election boycotted by main opposition". AP News. 12 January 2025. Retrieved 12 January 2025.
  25. ^ Ramadane, Mahamat (29 December 2024). "Chad holds parliamentary election likely to cement president's grip on power". Reuters. Retrieved 30 December 2024.