Chadian President Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno has further consolidated his power with a sweeping victory in the country’s first-ever senate elections.
Deby, who assumed office in 2021 after his father’s death and officially won a five-year presidential term last May, now commands an overwhelming majority in both houses of parliament. His Patriotic Salvation Movement (MPS) secured 43 of the 46 contested senate seats in last month’s election, in addition to dominating the list of 23 directly appointed lawmakers.
The opposition, which boycotted the elections, dismissed the results as illegitimate. Opposition leader Mahamat Zene Cherif called the process “prefabricated,” while constitutional expert Ahmat Mahamat Hassan argued that Chad has “never” had free and fair elections.
Despite criticism, the ruling party maintains that the transition period reshaped the political landscape, bringing former opponents into its fold. The government has prioritized peace, national reconciliation, and security, particularly amid regional instability from the Sudanese civil war and Boko Haram insurgencies.
With France’s military withdrawal earlier this year, Chad has shifted its geopolitical alliances, strengthening ties with the UAE, Turkey, and Hungary. However, analysts warn that Deby’s tightening control raises concerns about the country’s democratic future.
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