Chadian parliamentary election, 2009
Encyclopedia
A parliamentary election was held in Chad
on Sunday, 13 February 2011; it was the first such election since 2002. The administration of President Idriss Déby
has been in power since 1990. His party, the Patriotic Salvation Movement
(MPS), won nearly three-quarters of seats in the 2002 elections
, but the results were condemned by observers as flawed.
A parliamentary election was originally scheduled for 28 November 2010, but was postponed following a meeting in September between the ruling party and opposition leaders. According to the National Independent Electoral Commission (CENI), this was due to timing constraints caused by complications encountered during electoral preparations.
Since 1990, the results of Chad's elections have been consistently disputed by opposition parties and civil organisations. This year's elections were the result of an accord signed by the ruling party and its opponents in August 2007, under the auspices of the European Union
, to foster democracy in the war-torn country. However, international observers and opposition leaders have said that a repeat victory for the MPS was most likely. A presidential election
was held on 25 April 2011 when Déby was re-elected.
(MPS) of President Idriss Déby
, its allies, and most opposition parties signed an agreement after six months of negotiations regarding the organisation of the election. According to the agreement, an electoral census will be organised, an improved electoral file will be created, and a new 31-member independent electoral commission, with equal representation for the ruling majority and the opposition and a president of the commission agreed upon by the parties, will be established. The agreement also provides for the use of single ballots, for the security forces to vote one day before the rest of the population, and for nomads to vote on the day of the election instead of beforehand as in the past. Additionally, the agreement provides for the inclusion of the opposition in the government. To allow time for the agreement to be implemented, the election will be delayed until 2009 and the mandate of the current National Assembly
will be extended until then. Déby described the agreement as a step towards peace. The agreement was signed by 87 parties; the only major opposition group that did not sign was Federation, Action for the Republic (FAR).
FAR President Ngarlejy Yorongar
criticised the agreement as inadequate and said that signing it would be a "waste of time." He said that there should instead be a dialogue involving the entire political scene, including rebels, the exiled opposition, and civil society, and that a credible election could not be conducted while a rebellion was taking place in part of the country. Yorongar was also critical of the fact that the independent electoral commission would be subject to the decisions of the Constitutional Council
, which he alleged is controlled by Déby, and of the management of the electoral census by the government instead of the electoral commission.
A committee overseeing the implementation of the agreement was subsequently set up, headed by Lol Mahamat Choua, the President of the Rally for Democracy and Progress
opposition party. During a battle between government forces and rebels
in N'Djamena
in February 2008, several opposition leaders, including Choua, were arrested, and doubt was subsequently cast over the future of the agreement by members of the opposition.
Following the arrests of the opposition leaders, the Coordination of Political Parties for the Defence of the Constitution (CPDC), a coalition whose leader, Ibni Oumar Mahamat Saleh
, was among those arrested, suspended its participation on the follow-up committee.
During the lead-up to the elections, the CPDC accused the government of monopolising the state media, and criticised the "interference of officials at all levels in the electoral process on the one hand, and the overuse of means and assets of the state for electioneering".
have both sent electoral observers to the country. The EU mission reported that it had found no evidence of fraud. Louis Michel, head of the EU observer mission, said: "From our observations, we have not seen any irregularities specifically aimed at fraud". "In some polling stations there is a lack of material and organisation," he said. "However, it seems that these are fair, democratic and transparent elections." Michel also remarked on the relative stability in the country: "The mood is good and peaceful. There is no violence".
A total of sixteen parties won at least one seat. The most successful of the opposition groups was the National Union for Democracy and Renewal
, led by Saleh Kebzabo
, which won 11 seats.
Chad
Chad , officially known as the Republic of Chad, is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republic to the south, Cameroon and Nigeria to the southwest, and Niger to the west...
on Sunday, 13 February 2011; it was the first such election since 2002. The administration of President Idriss Déby
Idriss Déby
General Idriss Déby Itno is the President of Chad and the head of the Patriotic Salvation Movement. Déby is of the Bidyat clan of the Zaghawa ethnic group. He added "Itno" to his surname in January 2006.-Rise to power:...
has been in power since 1990. His party, the Patriotic Salvation Movement
Patriotic Salvation Movement
The Patriotic Salvation Movement is the ruling political party in Chad.After Idriss Déby, an army commander who participated in an unsuccessful plot against President Hissène Habré in 1989, fled to Sudan, he and his supporters, known as the April 1 Movement, operated from Sudan with Libyan backing...
(MPS), won nearly three-quarters of seats in the 2002 elections
Chadian parliamentary election, 2002
The Chadian parliamentary election of 2002 was the second multi-party parliamentary election since the independence of Chad, and came after the normal expiry of the mandate of the National Assembly's deputies...
, but the results were condemned by observers as flawed.
A parliamentary election was originally scheduled for 28 November 2010, but was postponed following a meeting in September between the ruling party and opposition leaders. According to the National Independent Electoral Commission (CENI), this was due to timing constraints caused by complications encountered during electoral preparations.
Since 1990, the results of Chad's elections have been consistently disputed by opposition parties and civil organisations. This year's elections were the result of an accord signed by the ruling party and its opponents in August 2007, under the auspices of the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
, to foster democracy in the war-torn country. However, international observers and opposition leaders have said that a repeat victory for the MPS was most likely. A presidential election
Chadian presidential election, 2011
A presidential election was held in Chad on 25 April 2011, after being postponed from 3 April.-Candidates:*Idriss Deby , incumbent*Saleh Kebzabo , boycotted...
was held on 25 April 2011 when Déby was re-elected.
Background
On August 13, 2007, the ruling Patriotic Salvation MovementPatriotic Salvation Movement
The Patriotic Salvation Movement is the ruling political party in Chad.After Idriss Déby, an army commander who participated in an unsuccessful plot against President Hissène Habré in 1989, fled to Sudan, he and his supporters, known as the April 1 Movement, operated from Sudan with Libyan backing...
(MPS) of President Idriss Déby
Idriss Déby
General Idriss Déby Itno is the President of Chad and the head of the Patriotic Salvation Movement. Déby is of the Bidyat clan of the Zaghawa ethnic group. He added "Itno" to his surname in January 2006.-Rise to power:...
, its allies, and most opposition parties signed an agreement after six months of negotiations regarding the organisation of the election. According to the agreement, an electoral census will be organised, an improved electoral file will be created, and a new 31-member independent electoral commission, with equal representation for the ruling majority and the opposition and a president of the commission agreed upon by the parties, will be established. The agreement also provides for the use of single ballots, for the security forces to vote one day before the rest of the population, and for nomads to vote on the day of the election instead of beforehand as in the past. Additionally, the agreement provides for the inclusion of the opposition in the government. To allow time for the agreement to be implemented, the election will be delayed until 2009 and the mandate of the current National Assembly
National Assembly of Chad
The National Assembly is the parliament of Chad. It has 155 members, elected for a four year term in 25 single-member constituencies and 34 multi-member constituencies.-See also:*List of Presidents of the National Assembly of Chad...
will be extended until then. Déby described the agreement as a step towards peace. The agreement was signed by 87 parties; the only major opposition group that did not sign was Federation, Action for the Republic (FAR).
FAR President Ngarlejy Yorongar
Ngarlejy Yorongar
Ngarlejy Koji Yorongar le Moinban is a Chadian politician. He is the Executive Federal Coordinator of the Federation, Action for the Republic , a radical opposition party, as well as a Deputy in the National Assembly of Chad and President of the Federation Parliamentary Group.-Early career:Before...
criticised the agreement as inadequate and said that signing it would be a "waste of time." He said that there should instead be a dialogue involving the entire political scene, including rebels, the exiled opposition, and civil society, and that a credible election could not be conducted while a rebellion was taking place in part of the country. Yorongar was also critical of the fact that the independent electoral commission would be subject to the decisions of the Constitutional Council
Constitutional Council of Chad
The Constitutional Council of Chad judges the constitutionality of legislation and treaties in Chad. It consists of nine judges who are elected to 9-year terms. It is established by Title VII of the Constitution of Chad.-Sources:...
, which he alleged is controlled by Déby, and of the management of the electoral census by the government instead of the electoral commission.
A committee overseeing the implementation of the agreement was subsequently set up, headed by Lol Mahamat Choua, the President of the Rally for Democracy and Progress
Rally for Democracy and Progress (Chad)
The Rally for Democracy and Progress is a political party in Chad, led by Lol Mahamat Choua.The party was founded by Choua in December 1991 and was among the first batch of political parties to be legalized in March 1992....
opposition party. During a battle between government forces and rebels
Battle of N'Djamena (2008)
The Battle of N'Djamena began on February 2, 2008 when Chadian rebel forces opposed to Chadian President Idriss Déby entered N'Djamena, the capital of Chad, after a three-day advance through the country. The rebels were initially successful, taking a large part of the city and attacking the heavily...
in N'Djamena
N'Djamena
N'Djamena is the capital and largest city of Chad. A port on the Chari River, near the confluence with the Logone River, it directly faces the Cameroonian town of Kousséri, to which the city is connected by a bridge. It is also a special statute region, divided in 10 arrondissements. It is a...
in February 2008, several opposition leaders, including Choua, were arrested, and doubt was subsequently cast over the future of the agreement by members of the opposition.
Following the arrests of the opposition leaders, the Coordination of Political Parties for the Defence of the Constitution (CPDC), a coalition whose leader, Ibni Oumar Mahamat Saleh
Ibni Oumar Mahamat Saleh
Ibni Oumar Mahamat Saleh was a Chadian politician and opposition leader who headed the Party for Liberties and Development .-Early life and education:...
, was among those arrested, suspended its participation on the follow-up committee.
Patriotic Salvation Movement
President Déby, commenting on the elections, said, "Everyone has something to win. A greater presence of the opposition will only increase the credibility [of the government]".Opposition
The opposition is composed of more than one hundred tiny parties, which are mostly under-funded and highly fragmented. The main opposition group is the Coordination of Political Parties for the Defence of the Constitution (CPDC), an umbrella group of 20 parties, four of which hold seats in the current parliament.During the lead-up to the elections, the CPDC accused the government of monopolising the state media, and criticised the "interference of officials at all levels in the electoral process on the one hand, and the overuse of means and assets of the state for electioneering".
Observers
The European Union and African UnionAfrican Union
The African Union is a union consisting of 54 African states. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established on 9 July 2002, the AU was formed as a successor to the Organisation of African Unity...
have both sent electoral observers to the country. The EU mission reported that it had found no evidence of fraud. Louis Michel, head of the EU observer mission, said: "From our observations, we have not seen any irregularities specifically aimed at fraud". "In some polling stations there is a lack of material and organisation," he said. "However, it seems that these are fair, democratic and transparent elections." Michel also remarked on the relative stability in the country: "The mood is good and peaceful. There is no violence".
Election
Roughly 4.8 million citizens were registered to vote, which is just two-fifths of the population. In N'Djamena, Déby called on all Chadians to fulfil their duty as a citizen, to choose their representatives in the national parliament. The chairperson of the independent electoral commission reported a 56.6% participation turnout.Results
Déby's Patriotic Salvation Movement won 110 of the 188 parliamentary seats, giving it a majority. Another 21 seats went to its allies, giving Déby's supporters an absolute majority, and indicating strong support for Déby ahead of the presidential election in April.A total of sixteen parties won at least one seat. The most successful of the opposition groups was the National Union for Democracy and Renewal
National Union for Democracy and Renewal
The National Union for Democracy and Renewal is a political party in Chad, led by Saleh Kebzabo.In the 1997 parliamentary election, the UNDR won 15 out of 125 seats. In the parliamentary election held on 21 April 2002, the party won five out of 155 seats....
, led by Saleh Kebzabo
Saleh Kebzabo
Saleh Kebzabo is a Chadian politician. He is the President of the National Union for Democracy and Renewal and a Deputy in the National Assembly of Chad.-Political career:...
, which won 11 seats.