For the voters, the referendum marks a long-awaited return to civilian rule because the April 2021 navy takeover.
Chadians have began voting on a brand new structure as a stepping stone to subsequent yr’s election that goals to fix political and neighborhood division within the oil-producing, but impoverished and fragmented nation.
For the 8 million registered voters, Sunday’s referendum marks a long-awaited return to civilian rule because the April 2021 navy takeover after the earlier president Idriss Deby was killed by rebels.
However the opposition desires extra autonomy and says the vote is only a farce for the navy management to carry on to energy.
‘Yes’
The military had suspended the structure after the demise of President Idriss Deby and dissolved the parliament. Deby’s son, Mahamat Idriss Deby, was then put in by the navy as interim president on the helm of a Transitional Navy Council (TMC).
Chad has had little stability since its independence in 1960.
Deby, 38, promised elections in 18 months when he seized energy in April 2021. However his navy administration has retained the facility to increase its “transitional” rule by 18 months.
The proposed structure would certainly set up autonomous communities with native assemblies and councils of conventional chiefdoms amongst different adjustments.
Haroun Kabadi, coordinator of teams voting “Yes”, mentioned the brand new structure presents extra independence as it could enable Chadians to decide on their native representatives and accumulate native taxes for the primary time.
“These people talking about a federation simply want to divide Chadians into micro-states and fuel hatred between communities,” he mentioned.
‘No’
The opposition, nonetheless, has confronted arrest, intimidation and threats for greater than a yr, but their message is unified.
“It is time to let the population organise into federated states and steer their own development,” Brice Nguedmbaye Mbaimon, who coordinates a coalition voting “No”, mentioned.
Chad had skilled a unitary state for over 50 years with out tangible progress, he mentioned.
Protests and demonstrations demanding a return to civilian rule have been usually repressed with violence by safety forces which frequently turned lethal.
‘Never’
Others are calling for a boycott altogether saying that the referendum is just a ploy by the navy to consolidate extra energy. Prime Minister Albert Pahimi Padacke mentioned the navy rulers had an excessive amount of management over the referendum course of.
“This is not fair, and it is not democratic. That’s why we have called on Chadians not to participate in this farce.”
A central concern is that the referendum may assist cement the facility of the navy chief, Deby’s son Mahamat Idriss, who has already prolonged a proposed 18-month transition to democracy.
“The pattern of delay and obfuscation echoes the long-honed tactics of Idriss Deby who came to power by force in 1990 and then held on to it for three decades,” analysts on the Africa Middle for Strategic Research mentioned.
“They’re all the same, whether they’re campaigning for ‘yes’ or ‘no’. They’ve shared the money out between themselves,” Badono Daigou for the GCAP opposition platform instructed a rally.
“The result is a foregone conclusion. The ‘yes’ vote will win.”
President Deby was the primary to position his vote in a single polling station in N’Djamena, not removed from the presidential palace.
“Each ballot placed in the ballot box is a further step towards stability and prosperity for our country,” he mentioned, after voting.
Polls will shut at 5pm (16:00 GMT) native time.