APA – N’Djamena (Chad) – The draft is strongly criticised by the political class, which accuses the government of imposing its will.
Members of the National Transitional Council (CNT) have approved the draft of the new Chadian constitution by an overwhelming majority.
With 174 votes in favour, they approved the document presented by the Secretary General of the Government and his counterpart for territorial administration.
The draft constitution has been heavily criticised by Chad’s political class. Political and civil society leaders have denounced the government’s heavy-handed approach to the question of the form of the state. The document retains the unitary state as the form of government. This contradicts the recommendations of the Inclusive and Sovereign National Dialogue, which stated that the question of the form of the state should be decided by referendum.
Members of the CNT, such as Théophile Bongor, president of the PRET party, and Béral Mbaikouboum of the MPTR party, were quick to describe the government’s attitude as “political trickery”.
In defending the government’s decision, Haliki Choua, Minister and Secretary General of the government, pointed to the logistical and financial resources required to organise two referendums during this transitional period.
“In the current context of limited resources, holding two referendums would risk putting additional pressure on the country. The transition must be completed on schedule so that the forthcoming elections can be organised,” he told members of the CNT.
All that remains is a constitutional referendum. “If the ‘yes’ vote wins the referendum, the current draft constitution, which provides for a unitary state, will be approved.
On the other hand, if the ‘no’ vote wins, a new constitution will be proposed after a thorough study that will take into account all the issues at stake, as well as social and economic considerations,” he told parliamentarians.
But for Abdoulaye Sabre Fadoul, a former minister and former civilian director of the transitional president, this project will only serve to divide the Chadian people.
“Unfortunately, the constitutional bend is once again being badly negotiated through this kind of Russian roulette played with a fully loaded revolver. Under these conditions, whatever the outcome of the referendum, the divisions will only widen and the transition will have served no other purpose,” he said in a long reaction published on his Facebook page.
Following the death of his father in April 2021, Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno was put in charge of a transitional military council during an army counter-offensive against the rebels of the Front for Change and Concord and is expected to lead the country to elections at the end of which constitutional order will be restored.
CA/ac/lb/as/APA