VZCZCXRO4961
PP RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHGI RUEHMA RUEHMR RUEHPA RUEHRN RUEHROV RUEHTRO
DE RUEHNJ #0139/01 1111032
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 211032Z APR 09
FM AMEMBASSY NDJAMENA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6871
INFO RUEHZO/AFRICAN UNION COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUCNFUR/DARFUR COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RHMFISS/HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 NDJAMENA 000139 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR AF/C AND AF/USSES 
NSC FOR GAVIN AND HUDSON 
LONDON FOR POL -- LORD 
PARIS FOR POL -- D'ELIA AND KANEDA 
ADDIS ABABA ALSO FOR AU 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREF PREL PINR CD
SUBJECT: CHAD:  AN ELECTORAL HISTORY (1959-2009). 
 
REF: A. NDJAMENA 089 
     ¶B. NDJAMENA 070 
 
------- 
SUMMARY 
------- 
 
¶1. (SBU)  A key U.S. goal in Chad involves the success of the 
August 13 Accord process, which comprises political and 
electoral reforms leading to credible legislative and local 
elections in 2010 and similar presidential elections in 2011. 
 The Chadian people have had a variety of national voting 
experiences over the past 50 years. We provide in this 
message basic information on that performance, in order to 
lend perspective to Chad's current efforts toward a free and 
fair set of elections. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) The August 13 Accord calls for legislative and 
local (municipal) elections in 2009/2010, and presidential 
elections in 2011.  This would be the first time that local 
(municipal) elections have ever been held in Chad. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) In all, Chad's voters have gone to the polls some 
15 times:  seven times to elect legislatures; five times to 
elect a president; and three times in national referenda. 
 
---------- 
CHRONOLOGY 
---------- 
 
¶4. (U)  The history of Chad's election and referenda: 
 
1959:  Election of Territorial Assembly:  Chadian Progressive 
Party (PPT), led by Francois Tombalbaye, won 57 of 85 seats. 
 
(1960:  Independence from France.) 
 
1962:  National Assembly Election:  Won by PPT, the sole 
legal political party. 
 
1962:  Presidential Election: Francois Tombalbaye ran 
unopposed and was elected with 97 percent of the vote of the 
Electoral College. 
 
1963:  National Assembly Election:  Won by PPT, the sole 
legal political party. 
 
1969:  Presidential Election: Francois Tombalbaye ran 
unopposed and was elected. 
 
1969:  National Assembly Election:  Won by PPT, the sole 
legal political party. 
 
1989:  Constitutional Referendum:  President Hissene Habre's 
Constitution adopted 
by vote of 99.9 percent. 
 
1990:  National Assembly Election: The sole legal party, 
Habre's UNIR party, wins all 123 seats. 
 
(1990:  Idriss Deby seizes power from Habre.) 
 
(1991:  National Charter adopted and Idriss Deby declared 
President by his own MPS party coalition.) 
 
1996:  Constitutional Referendum:  President Idriss Deby's 
new constitution approved 
by 63 percent of voters. 
 
1996:  Presidential Election:  Idriss Deby wins on second 
round with 69 percent of votes. 
 
1997:  National Assembly Election:  Deby's MPS party 
coalition wins 65 of 125 seats. 
 
2001:  Presidential Election:  Deby wins with 63 percent of 
votes. 
 
2002:  National Assembly Election:  Deby's MPS party 
coalition wins 110 of 155 seats. 
 
2005:  Constitutional Amendment Referendum:  Presidential 
term limits removed, on Deby's initiative. 
 
NDJAMENA 00000139  002 OF 003 
 
 
 
2006:  Presidential Election:  Idriss Deby wins with 64 
percent of votes; most opposition parties boycott this 
polling. 
 
 
------------ 
PRESIDENTIAL 
ELECTIONS 
--------- 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Chad has had five Presidential Elections since 
independence in 1960.  The first two -- in 1962 and 1969 -- 
were single-candidate affairs in which Francois Tombalbaye 
was elected.  Tombalbaye continued in power until 1975, when 
he was assassinated. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) The three contested Presidential elections -- 1996, 
2001, 2006 -- were won by Idriss Deby. 
 
---- 
1996 
---- 
 
-- First Round:  Deby won the first round with 43 percent, 
finishing ahead of Wadal Abdelkader Kamougue (12 percent), 
Saleh Kebzabo (nine percent), Jean-Bawayeou Alingue (eight 
percent), Lol Mahamat Choua (six percent), Younous Ibedou 
(three percent), Adoum Moussa Seif (three percent) and 
Abdoulaye Lamana (three percent), Delwa Kassire Coumakouye 
(two percent), Ngarlejy Yorongar (two percent) Mahamat 
Abdoulaye (two percent), four others with less than two 
percent. Voter turnout was 68 percent. 
 
-- Second Round:  Deby won the runoff with 69 percent, 
beating Wadal Abdelkader Kamougue with 31 percent.  Voter 
turnout was estimated at 77 percent. 
 
---- 
2001 
---- 
 
-- Deby won in the only round necessary with 63 percent, 
defeating Ngarlejy Yorongar (16 percent), Saleh Kebzabo 
(seven percent), Wadal Abdelkader Kamougue (six percent), 
Ibni Oumar Saleh Mahamat (three percent), Delwa Kassire 
Coumakouye (two percent), and Jean-Bawayeou Alingue (two 
percent). Voter turnout was 61 percent. 
 
---- 
2006 
---- 
 
-- Deby won in the only round necessary with 65 percent, 
defeating Delwa Kassire Coumakouye (15 percent), Albert 
Packimi Padacke (eight percent), Mahamat Abdoulaye (seven 
percent), and Brahim Koulamallah (five percent). Voter 
turnout was 53 percent.  Because most opposition parties 
boycotted this polling, all four of Deby's major opponents 
were actually political allies whose candidatures lent the 
outcome statistical credibility. All were subsequently 
appointed to senior GOC positions. 
 
------------- 
WANNABES 
AND SURVIVORS 
------------- 
 
¶7.  (U) Many of the contenders for the presidency in the 
three Deby-won elections are playing various and sometimes 
important roles in Chadian political life. 
 
-- Wadal Abdelkader Kamougue:  Current Minister of Defense. 
-- Saleh Kebzabo:  Deputy, leading member CPDC (Opposition 
party coalition). 
-- Jean-Bawayeou Alingue:  Current Minister of Justice. 
-- Lol Mahamat Choua:  Deputy, leading member CPDC 
(Opposition party coalition). 
-- Abdoulaye Lamana:  Current President of Oil Revenue 
Monitoring Mechanism. 
-- Delwa Kassire Coumakouye:  Current President of Economic 
Social and Cultural Council. 
-- Ngarlejy Yorongar:  Deputy, leading independent opposition 
 
NDJAMENA 00000139  003 OF 003 
 
 
party leader. 
-- Albert Packimi Padacke:  Current Minister of Post and 
Information Technology. 
-- Brahim Koulamallah:  Deputy, leading member, MPS 
(Governing party coalition). 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
NIGRO