Chad votes in favour of a new constitution backed by junta leader Deby

Chadians have voted in favour of a new constitution that critics say could help cement the power of junta leader Mahamat Idriss Deby.
The referendum held earlier this month was approved by 86% of voters, the government commission that organised it said on Sunday. Voter turnout was about 64%, it said.
Chad’s military authorities have called the vote a vital stepping-stone to elections next year – a long-promised return to democratic rule after they seized power in 2021 when former president Idriss Deby was killed on the battlefield during a conflict with insurgents.
The new constitution will maintain a unitary state, which Chad has had since independence, while some of its opponents had called for the creation of a federal state, saying it would help spur development.
Several opposition groups called for a boycott of the vote, saying the junta had too much control over the referendum process.