Chadian opposition leader Pahimi Padacké Albert has issued a stark warning to lawmakers, accusing the government of steering the country towards authoritarianism as Parliament prepares to vote on a controversial constitutional revision.
Speaking on Thursday, on the eve of a Congress session expected to approve the changes, the president of the RNDT-Le Réveil party described the vote as an “institutional formality” that could mark a decisive turning point for Chad’s political future.
“For us, this is a historic choice: to save the Republic or to trample it underfoot,” Pahimi declared.
He stressed that the opposition remained “responsible but inflexible on its values,” willing to cooperate when national interests demand but prepared to reject “when reason deserts the chamber.”
At the centre of his criticism is the decision to bypass a public referendum — a process that, under the constitution, should be required for major changes. By opting for a parliamentary vote instead, Pahimi said legislators were acting as “deconstitutional usurpers,” stripping citizens of their sovereign right. “This is a brutal confiscation of popular sovereignty,” he insisted.
The opposition leader accused the ruling party of reshaping the constitution to mirror the internal rules of the Patriotic Salvation Movement (MPS), branding the move “a national disgrace.”
He also took aim at a proposed amendment removing a clause that bars the president from holding partisan roles, arguing it would legitimise a violation that has existed since January 2025. “The oath is not revisable,” he said, urging the president to “announce his resignation from the presidency of the MPS” to honour his constitutional pledge.
Pahimi further warned that the reforms represent an “institutional lock-in” designed to centralise power and undermine the separation of powers, pointing to the involvement of the Supreme Court and Constitutional Council as evidence of “a confusion of powers.”
He also criticised provisions that would allow for the revocation of nationality, calling them “unprecedented” and contrary to fundamental rights.
“You are afraid for yourselves; we are afraid for our country,” he told parliamentarians, describing the vote as a “requiem mass for the Republic.”
While the bill is expected to pass comfortably, Pahimi argued that the Chadian public “is not convinced” and will ultimately “wake up.”
Concluding his address, he appealed to lawmakers to “keep faith in the Republic” and resist what he views as a dangerous concentration of power.
Whether his warnings will resonate in a Parliament dominated by the presidential majority remains uncertain, but his message underscored mounting concerns over Chad’s democratic trajectory.
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