The President is elected for a seven-year term and may be re-elected without a constitutional limit under the 2025 revision. Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno was elected on 6 May 2024 and invested on 23 May 2024. The Council of Ministers is chaired by the President, while Prime Minister Allamaye Halina leads the Government. The Vice-Prime Minister, Limane Mahamat, is responsible for territorial administration and decentralisation. The national legislature is bicameral. The Assemblée nationale has 188 deputies with six-year mandates. The Sénat has 69 members, including 46 elected senators and 23 appointed senators, and represents the territories. Both chambers adopt laws and exercise parliamentary control over the Government. The Conseil constitutionnel has nine members with non-renewable nine-year mandates and reviews constitutionality and institutional disputes. The Cour suprême is the highest court for judicial and administrative matters, while the Cour des comptes audits public finances. Other constitutional or consultative bodies include the Haute Cour de justice, the Conseil économique, social, culturel et environnemental, the Commission nationale des droits de l'homme and the Conseil supérieur des chefferies traditionnelles. Chad is divided into 23 provinces, 120 departments and 454 sous-préfectures. Provinces and communes are autonomous local authorities with elected councils. The administrative chain generally runs from the responsible ministry through the province, department, sous-préfecture and commune. The transfer of powers and resources to local authorities is being developed under the 2025–2030 decentralisation roadmap. Local councils adopt budgets and transmit them to the Direction générale du budget et des investissements; execution takes place through the State financial management system. The 2026 finance framework assigns roles to the Ministry of Finance, Budget, Economy and Planning, the budget and treasury administrations, the tax and customs administrations, the financial control service and the Inspection générale des finances. Local authorities receive State funding through mechanisms including centimes additionnels, the Impôt général libératoire and subsoil royalties. Tax administration is being digitised, and electronic tax payment has been mandatory for the covered obligations since 2025. The Journal officiel is available online, but Chad does not yet have one unified portal for all public services. The Médiateur receives complaints against public administrations, local authorities and public institutions. The service is free and confidential, and a complaint normally follows the available administrative remedies. The Médiateur examines the case and may issue a recommendation, but does not replace a court. HAMA regulates audiovisual and media activity, including licences, declarations, press cards, accreditation and election coverage. ONAMA provides public audiovisual information, while ARCEP regulates electronic communications and postal services. The defence and security forces consist of the Armée nationale tchadienne, the Gendarmerie nationale, the Police nationale and the Garde nationale et nomade. They are constitutionally subordinate to civilian authority and are required to remain apolitical. The army protects territorial integrity and responds to external threats; the gendarmerie, police and national nomadic guard support public order and internal security. Security conditions vary by territory, with communal, border and insurgency risks and attacks documented in Lac Province in 2026.
State in Chad
Chad is a sovereign, secular, social, indivisible and democratic unitary state governed by law. Its constitutional order is based on the Constitution of 29 December 2023, technically revised by Constitutional Law No. 0001/PC/2025 and promulgated on 8 October 2025. State authority operates through national institutions, territorial administration, public finance, oversight bodies, public regulators and security forces.
Tip
Treat the State in Chad as a set of different channels rather than a single service desk. Match each issue to the responsible national or local institution, keep proof of every submission or payment, and do not assume that one online portal covers all services. If an administration does not resolve a complaint, use the available administrative remedy and then consider the free, confidential Médiateur service; it does not replace a court.

