Chad's ruling Patriotic Salvation Movement has secured a significant majority in December's parliamentary elections, further bolstering President Mahamat Idriss Déby's authority despite a boycott by the main opposition parties.
Provisional results released at the weekend have shown that Chad’s ruling party took the majority of votes in last month’s parliamentary election, which was boycotted by the main opposition, the result of which will further consolidate President Mahamat Idriss Déby's political power.
In what was the first parliamentary election in the country in more than a decade, Chad's ruling Patriotic Salvation Movement party won 124 out of 188 seats, according to provisional results announced by the electoral commission.
The commission added that voter turnout was 51.5 percent.
Chad's military ruler Déby wins disputed presidential vote
The parliamentary election – which also included regional and municipal elections – was the last stage of the country's transition to democracy after Mahamat Idriss Déby took power as a military ruler in 2021.
The takeover followed the death of Déby's father and long-time president Idriss Déby Itno, who ran the country with an iron fist for three decades from 1991.
Mahamat Idriss Déby eventually won last year's disputed presidential vote.
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Opposition boycott polls
The Chadian president said the election would “pave the way for the era of decentralisation so long awaited and desired by the Chadian people,” referring to the distribution of power beyond the national government to the different provincial and municipal levels.
However, the election was boycotted by more than 10 opposition parties, including the main Transformers party, whose candidate – Succès Masra – came second in the presidential election.
The main opposition had denounced the election as a “charade” and expressed fears that it would be a repeat of the presidential vote, which election observers said was not credible.
The main opposition did not immediately comment on the election results.
Last month's vote came at a critical period for Chad, which is battling multiple security challenges from Boko Haram militant attacks in the Lake Chad region to the severing of decades-long military ties with former colonial ruler, France.
