New constitution, old playbook: Chad’s Deby continues power play in Sahel | Politics

Millions of Chadians voted for a controversial new draft constitution last week, despite resistance from critics of the military government which accuse it of perpetuating itself in power.

According to the National Commission Charged with the Organisation of the Constitutional Referendum (CONOREC), 86 percent of voters chose “yes”. The turnout for the December 17 referendum, in which 8 million people were eligible to vote, was 64 percent.

The referendum is the second part of a three-step process for the return of the landlocked Central African country to democratic rule following the…