A new constitution was approved by the people of Chad, an African nation. Critics claim this could strengthen the authority of junta leader Mahamat Idriss Deby.
When the referendum was held earlier this month, 64% of voters participated, and 86% of them approved of it, according to Reuters.
The nation’s military leaders underlined how crucial the vote is to the elections that will take place the next year and hinted that it might result in the long-awaited restoration of democracy.
Following the death of the previous president Idriss Deby on the battlefield during a struggle with terrorists, military forces took control of the nation in 2021.
Chad, which has been a unitary state since declaring independence, will continue to be such under the new constitution. Some opponents advocated for a federal state to be established, claiming this would probably help to promote development.
Due to the junta’s excessive control over the referendum process, numerous opposition parties also demanded that the vote be boycotted.
Deby had pledged an 18-month electoral transition following his father’s passing; however, the government this year passed resolutions postponing the elections until 2024. Deby can now run for president in a future election thanks to the postponement.
An attempt to undermine the constitution and destabilize the nation was thwarted earlier this year by the Chadi government.
Eleven persons, including human rights advocates and the military, were detained during the attempt and sent to the high court in the nation’s capital, N’Djamena.
Aziz Mahamat Saleh, a spokesman for the government, stated that a court case has been filed against the 11 individuals for violations of the constitution, unlawful gun possession, criminal association, and cooperation.
Following his father’s death in April 2021, Mahamat Idriss Deby was proclaimed the head of state rather than the succession charted by the Chadian constitution. Although they initially referred to the transfer as a coup d’état, the opposition political groups eventually agreed to recognize Deby as acting leader for the next 18 months.
At least sixty people were killed when Chadian security forces opened fire on anti-government protestors in the two biggest towns in the nation in October 2022.
According to analysts, the men’s arrest was an attempt to muzzle dissenting voices.