The president of Chad (Arabic: رئيس جمهورية تشاد, romanized:rayiys jumhuriat tshad, French: Président de la République du Tchad) is the head of state of Chad, and the commander-in-chief of the Chadian National Army. The presidency is the highest executive position in the country. The president is directly elected for a double five-year term.

A total of seven people have served as head of state of Chad (not counting two Interim Heads of State). Additionally, one person, Goukouni Oueddei, has served on two non-consecutive occasions.

The current head of state is President Mahamat Déby, who was inaugurated on 23 May 2024 following the 2024 presidential election. Prior to that, Déby has served as transitional president from 2022, and Chad's de facto head of state as president of the Transitional Military Council from 2021, after his father, the previous president Idriss Déby, was killed in the Northern Chad offensive.

Term limits

In 2018, the new Constitution of Chad reinstated two-term limits for the president. It also changed the length of the term from five years to six years. However, in 2023, a constitutional referendum was held which changed the length of the term from six years back to five years and which also lowered the minimum age for the presidency from 40 down to 35.

Titles

  • 1960–1962: Head of State
  • 1962–1975: President of the Republic
  • 1975: Chairman of the Supreme Military Council
  • 1975–1978: Head of State
  • 1978–1979: President of the Republic
  • 1979: Chairman of the Provisional Council of State
  • 1979: President of the Transitional Government of National Unity
  • 1979: Chairman of the Provisional Administrative Committee
  • 1979–1982: President of the Transitional Government of National Unity
  • 1982: Chairman of the Command Council of the Armed Forces of the North
  • 1982: Chairman of the Council of State
  • 1982–1990: President of the Republic
  • 1990: President of the Patriotic Salvation Movement
  • 1990–1991: President of the Council of State
  • 1991–2021: President of the Republic
  • 2021–2022: President of the Transitional Military Council
  • 2022–2024: Transitional President of the Republic
  • 2024–present: President of the Republic

List of officeholders

Political parties

Other factions

Status

Symbols

C Constitutional referendum

No.PortraitName (Birth–Death)ElectedTerm of officePolitical partyPrime minister(s)
Took officeLeft officeTime in office
1François Tombalbaye (1918–1975)1962 196911 August 196013 April 1975 (Assassinated in a coup)14 years, 245 daysPPT until 1973 renamed to MNRCSPosition not established
Noël Milarew Odingar (1932–2007)13 April 197515 April 19752 daysMilitaryPosition not established
2Félix Malloum (1932–2009)15 April 197523 March 1979 (Resigned)3 years, 342 daysMilitaryHabré
Goukouni Oueddei (born 1944)23 March 197929 April 197937 daysFROLINATFAPPosition vacant
3Lol Mahamat Choua (1939–2019)29 April 19793 September 1979127 daysMPLTPosition vacant
4Goukouni Oueddei (born 1944)3 September 19797 June 1982 (Deposed in a coup)2 years, 277 daysFROLINATFAPNgardoum (from 19 May 1982)
5Hissène Habré (1942–2021)1989[C]7 June 19822 December 1990 (Deposed in a coup)8 years, 178 daysFAN / UNIRNgardoum (until 19 June 1982)
Idriss Déby (1952–2021)2 December 199028 February 199188 daysMilitary / MPSPosition abolished
61996 2001 2006 2011 2016 202128 February 199120 April 2021 (Killed in action)30 years, 51 daysBawoyeu Yodoyman Moungar Koumakoye Djimasta Ouaido Yamassoum Kabadi Faki Yoadimnadji Younousmi Koumakoye Abbas Nadingar Dadnadji Deubet Padacké
Mahamat Déby (born 1984)20 April 202123 May 20243 years, 33 daysMilitary / MPSPadacké Kebzabo Masra Halina
7202423 May 2024Incumbent1 year, 329 days

Timeline

Latest election

CandidatePartyVotes%
Mahamat DébyPatriotic Salvation Movement3,777,27961.00
Succès MasraLes Transformateurs1,148,24518.54
Albert Pahimi PadackéNational Rally for Democracy in Chad1,048,01516.93
Lydie BeassemdaParty for Integral Democracy and Independence59,6320.96
Théophile Bongoro[fr]Party for Rally and Equity in Chad46,7840.76
Alladoum Djarma[ha]Chadian Socialist Action for Renewal33,7650.55
Brice Guedmbaye[ha]Movement of Patriotic Chadians for the Republic27,8480.45
Yacine Abdramane Sakine[fr]Reformist Party[fr]22,3280.36
Mansiri Lopsikréo[fr]Les Élites15,1470.24
Nasra Djimasngar[fr]A New Day12,7380.21
Total6,191,781100.00
Valid votes6,191,78199.62
Invalid/blank votes23,4630.38
Total votes6,215,244100.00
Registered voters/turnout8,202,20775.78
Source:

See also

Notes

External links