Forum opens its work with mandates from locally elected officials and the oath of confession

In Chad, the second inclusive national forum opened yesterday, Thursday 29 October. It was convened by the government to assess the implementation of the new constitution, which has been in place since 2018. On the first day of this meeting, the boycott of the largest unions and part of the opposition, participants agreed on the need to abolish the confession seat introduced by the current Constitution and the limitation of the mandate of locally elected officials.

with our correspondent in Ndjamena, Madjiasra Nako

At the beginning of the procedure, the head of state, Idriss Déby Itno, repeated what he said to party leaders just before the opening of the forum: there is no taboo subject.

In evaluating the implementation of the recommendations of the first forum, most of the speakers called for the removal of the restriction on the mandates of local elected officials and in particular for the removal of the oath of the Bible or the Qur’an imposed on senior officials. . Another point raised: lifting the restriction on local elected mandates.

At the end of the session, the Vice President of the President, Pahimi Padacket Albert, had to ask the opinion of the room. “If you agree with these two points, they will be the subject of decisions …”

Conflicts between farmers and shepherds, where the authorities often take the side of the shepherds and the charter of political parties that risk causing the dissolution of several political groups, were also raised as problems.

The second inclusive national forum was convened by the government to review the constitution adopted in May 2018. But several opposition political parties and the largest trade union center, USTfelt that this forum would only legitimize power without solving the real problems of the peoples. The first inclusive forum was held in 2018.

►also read : In Chad, the forum on the new constitution under criticism by critics before its opening

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