Chad’s ruling party secures two-thirds majority in legislative vote

Chad’s ruling Patriotic Salvation Movement has claimed a decisive victory in last month’s parliamentary election, winning 124 of 188 seats and bolstering President Mahamat Idriss Deby’s hold on power. Provisional results announced on Sunday reveal that around half the electorate participated in the December 29 vote, which also included municipal and regional contests. This marks the first time in over a decade that Chad has held such comprehensive elections.

The outcome ratifies the Central African nation’s move toward constitutional governance following the 2021 death of former President Idriss Deby Itno, who led the country for three decades. Mahamat Idriss Deby assumed power shortly after his father’s passing and has governed ever since, securing the presidency in a disputed May 2024 vote. Critics argue that the recent elections lacked transparency, with leading opposition figures such as Succes Masra and several other parties boycotting the polls.

Chad has maintained strategic importance as a Western partner in the fight against militant groups in the Sahel region. However, the government has recently distanced itself from France, once a key security ally, and threatened to reduce involvement in multinational forces. This move echoes similar shifts in Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso, where French troops have been expelled and alliances with Russia have grown.

In a sign of the country’s lingering volatility, the government announced this week that security forces had thwarted an attack on the presidency, describing it as an attempted “destabilization.” Despite these challenges, the ruling party’s decisive parliamentary majority is expected to reinforce Mahamat Idriss Deby’s authority and shape Chad’s political trajectory in the coming years.