Chadian opposition leader Pahimi Padacké Albert is warning against what he calls an “institutional lockdown,” urging respect for the presidential oath and fundamental rights.
On Thursday, on the eve of a parliamentary congress set to examine a constitutional amendment already approved by a large majority, the head of the RNDT–Le Réveil party issued a solemn appeal to lawmakers, denouncing what he describes as an authoritarian drift and a violation of popular sovereignty.
A decisive vote for the country’s future
For Padacké, the upcoming congress session is little more than “an institutional formality,” yet it represents “a historic choice: to save the Republic or trample it.”
He reaffirms his camp’s stance as a “responsible but principled opposition,” ready to say yes when the nation’s interest demands it but determined to say no “when reason deserts the chamber.”
At the heart of his argument lies the issue of parliamentary authority. Under the Chadian constitution, fundamental amendments must be submitted to a referendum. By proceeding through Congress, lawmakers would be acting as “constitutional usurpers,” depriving the people of their sovereign right, he argued. “It is a brutal confiscation of popular sovereignty,” Padacké insists.
A constitution shaped in a party’s image
The opposition leader accuses the government of aligning the constitution with the internal regulations of the ruling Patriotic Salvation Movement (MPS), calling it “a national disgrace.” He sees in this manoeuvre a partisan manipulation of the country’s supreme law.
Another key concern is the presidential oath. By removing the clause prohibiting the head of state from holding partisan positions, the amendment would, in his view, fail to address the constitutional breach committed since January 2025.
“The oath is not subject to revision,” he declares, calling on the president to “resign from the MPS leadership” in order to remain faithful to his commitment.
Warning of authoritarian drift
Behind the proposed revision, Padacké sees a project aimed at “locking down” institutions by concentrating power and eroding the separation of powers. He also criticized the involvement of the Supreme Court and the Constitutional Council, which he says reflected “a dangerous confusion of powers.”
Padacké further warns against the introduction of nationality revocation, describing it as “unprecedented” and contrary to fundamental rights. He believes that the safeguards of the Fifth Republic — a president above party politics, limited terms, and judicial and parliamentary checks and balances — are now threatened by a regime “in pursuit of absolutism.”
A direct appeal to lawmakers
In a grave and personal tone, Padacké urges fellow legislators to put the national interest first. “You fear for yourselves; we fear for our country,” he said, likening the congress session to “a requiem mass for the Republic.”
Although the outcome of the vote appears preordained, the opposition leader reminds MPs that the Chadian people “remain unconvinced” and would eventually “wake up.” He concludes with a call to “keep faith in the Republic.”
Through this patriotic appeal, Pahimi Padacké Albert positions himself as a defender of democratic institutions — though it remains to be seen whether his warnings will resonate in a parliament overwhelmingly loyal to the ruling majority.
CA/ac/sf/lb/as/APA