Informed citizens’ participation in the Chadian electoral process is essential to strengthening the democratic processes in the upcoming elections in Chad. To this end, EISA facilitated a training of trainers’ workshop on voter education, held from March 12th to 14th, 2024.
This initiative facilitated the sharing of knowledge, expertise, and best practices in civic and voter education, fostering discussions on the similarities and differences between civic education, electoral education, and electoral information. Discussions on the state as a political entity exercising sovereign authority over a given territory and its population, as well as on the nation as a group of people sharing common cultural, historical, linguistic, religious, or ethnic ties, paved the way for an in-depth debate on democracy.
Participants grappled with how the future of the Chadian democratic state is understood, suggesting that the political regime should ensure fair representation and participation of all components of the nation to enable citizens to shape national identity and promote the well-being of all members of the nation, regardless of their ethnic or cultural backgrounds. Fundamental principles of democracy, including respect for human rights, equality before the law, freedoms, equitable political participation, and free and regular elections, were revisited, along with basic yet significant questions such as voting mechanisms and public choice motivations.
The next assignment for these trainers, selected from the most skilled facilitators, is to travel to Chad’s major cities to train local voter educators.
The democratic capabilities and understanding of 22 selected members of local Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), including 8 women, was enhanced. The next assignment for these trainers, selected from the most skilled facilitators, is to travel to Chad’s major cities to train local voter educators. These voter educators will then traverse cities, neighborhoods, villages, and hamlets to empower informed citizen engagement in the 2024 presidential election scheduled for May 6th, 2024.
With 20 candidacies submitted to date, including those of General Mahamat Idriss Deby, President of the Transition, and Dr. Succes Masra, Prime Minister of the Transition, the political landscape is set to become spicy as the campaign kicks off on April 14, 2024, following the definitive candidate list proclamation on March 24 by the Constitutional Council.
