LIBREVILLE — Chad’s national forum, boycotted by much of the opposition, announced on
Saturday that junta leader Mahamat
Idriss Deby Itno would stay in office during
a two-year transition to elections.
اضافة اعلان
The National
Sovereign Inclusive Dialogue forum — boycotted by opposition members, two out
of three leading armed rebel groups, and civil society organizations — also
ratified Deby’s right to run for president post-transition.
The national
forum began its work in August after multiple delays.
It wrapped in
N’Djamena on Saturday, before a packed audience of civilians and military, with
a speech by Gen. Deby.
Deby took over in
April last year after his father, Idriss Deby Itno, the country’s iron-fisted
ruler for 30 years, was killed during a military operation against rebels.
He had vowed to
hand back power to civilians after 18 months, a deadline that would run out
this month.
Deby also pledged
to
Chadians and the international community that he would not run in the
upcoming presidential elections.
After coming to
power, the junta of 15 generals scrapped the constitution, dissolved parliament
and dismissed the government.
The international
community had urged Deby not to extend the transition beyond 18 months, and not
to run for president in the eventual elections.
However, in June
last year, the junta leader dealt a first blow to those hopes, floating another
18 months of transition “if the Chadians do not manage to reach an agreement”
on the way forward.
A week ago the DNIS
adopted “by consensus” a raft of resolutions including prolonging the
transition period to 24 months.
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