Chad’s ruling party, the Patriotic Salvation Movement (MPS), has won a commanding two-thirds of the seats in the National Assembly, securing 124 out of 188, based on provisional results from the December 29 legislative elections. The victory strengthens President Mahamat Idriss Deby’s hold on power, continuing his leadership since he took control in 2021 after the sudden death of his father, Idriss Deby Itno.
The elections, which also included municipal and regional votes, saw a turnout of 51.56%. This was Chad’s first legislative election in over a decade. While the MPS triumphed, several opposition parties, including Succes Masra’s Transformateurs party, boycotted the election, accusing the government of rigging the vote and lacking transparency. The government has rejected these allegations.
Deby, elected president in May after declaring himself interim leader in 2021, has been at the center of significant political shifts. Recently, Chad severed military ties with France, mirroring actions by other Sahel nations like Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso, which have aligned more closely with Russia following a series of coups.
