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General Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno through a decree appointed 104 more members of his “parliament” as he leads Chad’s two-year transitional government after taking power on the death of his father Marshal Idriss Deby.
A national reconciliation dialogue (DNIS) last month in October gave him an additional 24 months as transitional president. It also recommended increasing the number of “deputies” in the National Transitional Council (CNT), which is equivalent to parliament. Mr. Déby was first proclaimed head of state on 20 April 2021, at the head of a junta of 15 generals, from 93 to 197 by inducting people from civil society organisations and rebel movements that joined the national dialogue. The national dialogue was boycotted by a large part of the opposition and some of the most powerful armed groups. The opposition denounced what is going on in Chad as a “dynastic succession”. The current strongman’s father, Marshal Idriss Déby, ruled the country for 30 years with an iron fist. He was killed on the front line against rebels a year and a half ago.
On 20 April 2021, a junta of 15 generals announced the death of Marshal Idriss Déby and proclaimed his son Mahamat, a 37-year-old general at the time, “President of the Republic” for a “transitional” period till the time the country goes for a “free and democratic elections” after 18 months. The generals abrogated the Constitution, dismissed the government and dissolved parliament, and replaced it five months later with a 93-member CNT appointed by the new strongman of N’Djamena. This transitional “parliament” is in charge of drafting a new constitution and preparing for elec
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Mahamat Déby immediately received the support of the international community – led by France, the European Union (EU), and the African Union (AU). They demanded that the transition period should not exceed 18 months, and also extracted a promise from General Déby that he would not stand in future elections. Eighteen months later, the DNIS not only reappointed him for two years as head of Chad but also authorised him to run for the supreme magistracy in two years’ time. Opposition parties demonstrated on October 20, the dictatorial overtones, which were violently repressed, resulting in about 50 deaths in the country’s major cities, more than 300 injured, and hundreds of people arrested. The international community, particularly the EU, condemned the use of excessive powers to suppress protests.
