AFRICA/CHAD - Chadians called to the polls to amend the country's Constitution

N’Djamena (Fides Service)- Not many people are expected to vote in the constitutional referendum today 6 June, in Chad in which citizens are called to approve amendments to the constitution which if passed will allow President Idriss Deby to stand for a third term of presidency.
“People are not very interested in the referendum” a local source in N’Djamena, capital of Chad told Fides. “In fact development is what concerns people mainly and in the east of the country the concern is the presence refugees from the western Sudan region of Darfur which aggravates the scarcity of resources”.
The 26 opposition parities in Chad have called on the people to boycott the referendum which they say “aims to make the country a monarchy”.
About 5.3 million eligible voters are called to vote in 10,800 constituencies to approve or reject constitutional amendments adopted by Parliament in May 2004 with regard to an article of the 1996 Constitution which establishes that a President may serve for only two terms of office.
President Deby took power by force in 1990. In 1996 he was elected President and reconfirmed in 2001 with an election which the Opposition said was irregular. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 6/6/2005 righe 22 parole 246)