Chad Parliament has approved a constitutional review that scraps presidential term limits, paving the way for Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno’s indefinite rule as president.

The parliament passed the amendment on Friday, with 236 of the 257 lawmakers voting in favour, while opposition lawmakers boycotted the controversial amendment.

Introduced by Mr Deby’s Patriotic Salvation Movement (MPS), the amendment extended the president’s tenure from five to seven years, allowing the president to contest as many times as he wishes.

By the amendment, Mr Deby’s current tenure has been extended by another two years, while he remains eligible to contest perpetually to remain in power.

The controversial amendment has been condemned by the leader of the opposition, Albert Pahimi Padacke, who described it as “unconstitutional and authoritarian.”

Earlier in August, a prominent opposition figure, Succes Masra, was sentenced to 20 years in prison on charges of inciting violence and unrest in the country.

Mr Deby, 41, took over as transitional leader in 2021 after his father, Idris Deby, who ruled the country for three decades from 1991 to 2021, died. He won a highly contested election to maintain his firm grip on power in May 2024.