In a ceremony held in Amdjarass, members of the Constitutional Council took their oaths before electing Jean-Bernard Padaré as the head of this recently reconstituted body under the new Constitution. The event, attended by Mahamat Idriss Déby, unfolded amidst criticism from opposition figures regarding the Council’s composition.
Four days after their appointment, the newly constituted Constitutional Council, consisting of five non-magistrate members out of a total of nine, convened to select its leadership, ultimately appointing Jean-Bernard Padaré. The swearing-in and voting processes occurred in Amdjarass, situated in the northeast of the country, where the transitional president is currently stationed.
The decision to relocate the proceedings to the president’s stronghold, justified by the “urgency” of the Council’s commencement, is viewed by opponents as further evidence of the perceived “locking down” of the transition’s conclusion and the perceived “subjugation” of both the Council and the Election Management Agency.
Members of these two bodies were appointed either by Mahamat Idriss Déby or the president of the transitional assembly. Haroun Kabadi, having recently stepped down from the General Secretariat of the MPS, the former ruling party, where Jean-Bernard Padaré served as the second-in-command and spokesperson, adds another layer of complexity to the evolving political landscape.
Aged 56, Padaré, a lawyer hailing from the southwest of the country, has a diverse history, having been an advocate for human rights, legal counsel to Idriss Déby, and a minister. He experienced a period of disgrace in 2013-2014, with a subsequent annulment of his conviction on appeal. He later emerged as a fervent supporter of the regime under the former president and continued his allegiance during the transitional period led by his son.