Chad president to run for 5th term and 'reintroduce constitutional term limits'

Chad’s President Idriss Deby Itno, who has been in power since 1990, will run for a fifth term in office after being chosen Tuesday as his party’s candidate.

The elections are slated for April 10.

The 64-year-old modified the constitution in 2004, scrapping its two-term limit on presidential tenure, and won the following elections by a huge majority.

He said that he would reintroduce constitutional term limits if he won a fifth term.

“The principles of presidential term limits in the constitution must be reintroduced,” Deby told a convention of his ruling party, for which he is the presidential candidate.

Candidates have from February 10 to 29 to file their bid. A runoff vote will be held on May 9 if no outright winner emerges from the first round in April.

Two opposition figures, Kassire Coumakoye and Malloum Yobode, have already declared they will run.

If he wins the polls, Deby will extend power in the country for more than 25 years.

The oil-rich central African country is playing a pivotal role in the military campaign against the Nigerian Islamist group Boko Haram.

During the 26th African Union summit held in January, Deby was elected the new chairperson of the Africa Union taking over from veteran Zimbabwe leader, Robert Mugabe.