Republic of Chad’s ruling party, Patriotic Salvation Movement, has endorsed President Idriss Deby Itno’s bid for a sixth term in an April election.
The 68-year-old former army chief who has been in power for 30 years, he commended the decision at a meeting of his party on Saturday.
He said: “Allow me, my brothers and sisters, to tell you that it is after a mature and deep introspection, that I decided to respond favourably to this call of the people.”
The 68-year-old Deby has been the leader of the central African state since December 1990, when he ousted the autocratic leader Hissene Habre.
He has been re-elected every five years since then, thanks to constitutional changes approved by a referendum in 2005 to remove limits on presidential terms.
Meanwhile, 12 opposition parties on Tuesday said they would field a joint candidate against Deby in the April 11 vote and signed a deal creating an electoral coalition called Alliance Victoire (Victory Alliance).
