Chad’s President Idriss Deby on Tuesday said he would reintroduce constitutional term limits if he won a fifth term in an election slated for April.
His campaign promise came amid controversial moves by the leaders of some other African countries including Burundi, Rwanda and Congo Republic who have challenged constitutional term limits to maintain power.
“The principles of presidential term limits in the constitution must be reintroduced,” Deby told a convention of his ruling party, Patriotic Salvation Movement (MPS).
“Today nothing requires us to remain in a system where changing leaders becomes difficult … In 2005 the constitutional reform was conducted in a context where the life of the nation was in danger.”
The president seized power in a coup in 1990 and was most recently re-elected in 2011.
A referendum in 2005 scrapped constitutional term limits before Deby won a disputed election the following year.
Deby says restoring term limits provides “vitality to our young democracy.”
President Deby’s party chose him on Tuesday to run for a fifth term in office.
“You have given me the immense honour of renewing in me your confidence by making me your candidate in the 2016 election,” Deby said.
Candidates have from February 10 to 29 to file their bid. A run-off vote will be held on May 9 if no outright winner emerges from the first round in April.
Two opposition figures, Kassire Coumakoye and Malloum Yobode, have already declared they will run.
