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The Government and Political System in Chad

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Under normal political conditions, the government of Chad is based on the Constitution that has been revised six times since 1959 and 1988. As a democratic republic, the country is run through the Executive, Legislative and Judicial branches. The Executive Branch is composed of the President as head of both state and government, who is elected by popular vote for a five-year term, and who dominates the country’s political system; the Prime Minister who is appointed by the President; and the cabinet composed of the heads of various departments or ministries.

The Legislative Branch is the National Assembly composed of 155 members elected for 4-year terms. The legislature meets three times a year, holds regular sessions twice a year and special sessions called by the Prime Minister. Headed by a president elected by deputies every two years, the legislature can also force the Prime Minister to resign through a majority of no-confidence vote.

The Judicial Branch is composed of the Supreme Court and the Constitutional Court as the highest courts of the country. The Supreme Court is made up of a Chief Justice who is appointed by the President, and 15 councilors appointed for life by the President and the National Assembly. The Constitutional Court is composed of nine judges elected for 9-year terms, and vested with the power to review legislations, treaties and international agreements or documents before they are adopted.

For local government administration, the country is divided into 22 regions to take the place of prefectures abolished by the government. Each region is headed by a governor appointed by the President.