N’DJAMENA, Chad – The governing party of Chad has claimed a dominant share of the vote in the recent parliamentary election held last month. These results, which are provisional, have emerged despite a boycott from the primary opposition parties, and analysts believe this will further solidify the president’s control over the political landscape.
In what marked the first parliamentary election in over a decade, the Patriotic Salvation Movement, currently in power, secured 124 out of 188 available seats. This outcome came with a voter turnout rate of 51.5%, as disclosed by Ahmed Bartchiret, head of the electoral commission, on Saturday.
This parliamentary election also encompassed regional and municipal contests, representing a significant step in Chad’s journey towards a democratic process. This transition began after Mahamat Idriss Deby appointed himself as the military leader in 2021, following the death of his father, who had served three decades as the president. Mahamat Idriss Deby later emerged victorious in a contentious presidential election last year.
Deby has previously indicated that the recent election would lay the groundwork for a long-awaited period of decentralization, aiming to redistribute political power from the central government to local administrative units.
Despite its significance, the election faced a significant setback, with over ten opposition parties choosing to boycott the event. Among these was the prominent Transformers party, whose candidate Succes Masra placed second in the previous presidential election. The opposition had labeled the election a “charade,” raising concerns that it would mirror the contentious presidential election, which monitoring groups deemed questionable in its credibility. As of now, the main opposition has yet to respond to the election results.
The timing of this election is particularly critical given Chad’s ongoing struggles with various security threats, including militant assaults from Boko Haram in the Lake Chad area, alongside deteriorating relations with France, a country that has been a longstanding military partner.
