The Chadian National Commission, in charge of organising the Constitutional Referendum (CONOREC), recently announced that individuals have voted in favour of the new constitution by an overwhelming 86 percent. This occurred with a voter participation rate of 63.75 percent.
The draft of the proposed constitution, promoting a state that is unitary yet decentralised, had been adopted by the government in June. The president of the CONOREC, Limane Mohamat, stated that despite initial skeptism from critics, the commissions was able to achieve its obligations.
While the referendum occurred after a month of campaigning, supported by the present transitional government and General Mahamat Idriss Deby, the constitution saw opposition from various quarters. Notably, the Consultation Group of Political Actors called for a cancellation of the referendum. In addition, Max Kemboye, president of the Union of Democrats for Development and Progress party, slammed the CONOREC citing a lack of transparency, accused the military junta of having control over the referendum process, and demanded its dissolution. Others have claimed that the vote results were manipulated, alleging that numerous Chadians boycotted the vote.
Transitional leader of Chad, General Mahamat Idriss Deby, who came to power after his father’s death in 2021, has been condemned for violent suppressions of pro-democracy protests, including alleged torture of detainees. Ahead of the referendum, Human Rights Watch’s Central Africa director, Lewis Mudge, petitioned the government to “respect basic principles of political plurality”.
The constitutional court will now spend four days examining the referendum results, with a final decision expected on Thursday. The formal adoption of the new constitution is scheduled for January 1st, paving the way for presidential and legislature elections and signaling the end of the interim period.