Chad - December 2023
New constitution ratified by referendum
Chad completed a key step in its path to civilian government on 17 December when a new constitution was approved by referendum, with 85.9 per cent of those who voted (turnout was 62.9 per cent) supporting ratification. The referendum result was challenged in court by a coalition of opposition parties called the Bloc Fédéral, but the Supreme Court confirmed the official result on 29 December. The new constitution is in most regards very similar to the one that it replaces, maintaining a unitary state with a strong president. The vote follows a national dialogue on the constitution that took place earlier in the year, during which participants were notably split on the structure of the government and many supported a federal arrangement.
Sources: Africa News, Reuters, Financial Times, The Conversation
