# 1997 Chadian parliamentary election

Parliamentary elections were held in Chad on 5 January 1997, with a second round on 23 February. They were the first multi-party elections since independence in 1960 and resulted in a victory for the ruling Patriotic Salvation Movement (MPS), which won 65 of the 125 seats in the National Assembly. However, the elections were marred by electoral fraud widespread vote rigging, and local irregularities marred these elections, as the 1996 presidential elections.

## Electoral system

The elections were held using the two round system. Candidates had to win a majority of the vote in the first round to be elected. In constituencies where no candidate received a majority, a second round was held.

## Campaign

A total of 30 parties contested the elections, putting forward 656 candidates.

## Results

| Party | Party | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Seats |
| Party | Party | Votes | % | Votes | % | Seats |
| | Patriotic Salvation Movement | 504,045 | 39.96 | 262,060 | 34.40 | 65 |
| | Union for Renewal and Democracy | 165,639 | 13.13 | 214,548 | 28.16 | 29 |
| | Rally for Democracy and Progress | 84,372 | 6.69 | 13,140 | 1.72 | 3 |
| | National Union for Democracy and Renewal | 76,156 | 6.04 | 63,549 | 8.34 | 15 |
| | Federation, Action for the Republic | 50,627 | 4.01 | 32,274 | 4.24 | 1 |
| | Union for Democracy and the Republic | 48,948 | 3.88 | 2,419 | 0.32 | 4 |
| | Party for Liberty and Development | 33,344 | 2.64 | | | 3 |
| | Union for Democratic Reform | 25,603 | 2.03 | 18,764 | 2.46 | 0 |
| | Movement for Democracy and Socialism in Chad | 21,874 | 1.73 | 25,764 | 3.38 | 0 |
| | National Rally for Development and Progress | 20,630 | 1.64 | 18,345 | 2.41 | 0 |
| | National Action for Development | 20,572 | 1.63 | 14,732 | 1.93 | 2 |
| | National Democratic and Social Convention | 19,899 | 1.58 | 33,574 | 4.41 | 1 |
| | Convention for Democracy | 15,226 | 1.21 | | | 0 |
| | Convention of Social-Democratic Chadians | 15,223 | 1.21 | | | 0 |
| | Party for Unity and National Reconstruction | 14,909 | 1.18 | 1,731 | 0.23 | 0 |
| | PLUS | 14,488 | 1.15 | | | 0 |
| | National Union | 14,274 | 1.13 | 17,133 | 2.25 | 0 |
| | African Party for Progress and Social Justice | 12,875 | 1.02 | | | 0 |
| | National Democratic Rally of Chad | 9,380 | 0.74 | | | 0 |
| | National Union for Democracy and Progress | 8,847 | 0.70 | | | 0 |
| | Social Movement for Democracy in Chad | 8,611 | 0.68 | | | 0 |
| | Union of Democratic Forces | 8,252 | 0.65 | | | 0 |
| | Movement for Democracy in Chad | 7,026 | 0.56 | | | 0 |
| | National Party of Democratic Renewal | 6,355 | 0.50 | | | 0 |
| | Rally for Progress and Social Justice | 6,282 | 0.50 | | | 0 |
| | National Union for the Renewal of Chad | 6,242 | 0.49 | | | 0 |
| | National Rally for Democracy in Africa | 5,722 | 0.45 | | | 0 |
| | Democratic Union for the Progress of Chad | 5,186 | 0.41 | | | 0 |
| | Action for Renewal of Chad | 4,666 | 0.37 | | | 0 |
| | Chadian Democratic Union | 4,324 | 0.34 | | | 0 |
| | Chadian People's Rally | 3,891 | 0.31 | | | 0 |
| | Rally of Nationalist Chadians | 2,516 | 0.20 | | | 0 |
| | National Movement of Democratic Renovators | 2,516 | 0.20 | | | 0 |
| | National Union Party for Democracy, Dialogue and Development of Chad | 2,146 | 0.17 | | | 0 |
| | Rally for the Republic – Lingui | 2,096 | 0.17 | 18,389 | 2.41 | 0 |
| | Chadian Action for Unity and Socialism | 1,915 | 0.15 | 19,878 | 2.61 | 2 |
| | Rally of Democratic Forces in Chad | 1,502 | 0.12 | | | 0 |
| | Social-Democratic Party of Chad | 1,417 | 0.11 | 5,595 | 0.73 | 0 |
| | Democratic Rally of Chad | 1,172 | 0.09 | | | 0 |
| | Republican Front | 678 | 0.05 | | | 0 |
| | Movement for Unity and Democracy in Chad | 663 | 0.05 | | | 0 |
| | Democratic Party of Chad | 453 | 0.04 | | | 0 |
| | National Union for Democracy and Development | 380 | 0.03 | | | 0 |
| | Committee of National Revival for Peace and Democracy | 354 | 0.03 | | | 0 |
| Total | Total | 1,261,296 | 100.00 | 761,895 | 100.00 | 125 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | 1,261,296 | 92.22 | 761,895 | 96.78 | |
| Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | 106,391 | 7.78 | 25,378 | 3.22 | |
| Total votes | Total votes | 1,367,687 | 100.00 | 787,273 | 100.00 | |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 3,248,333 | 42.10 | 1,733,931 | 45.40 | |
| Source: Nohlen et al. |||||||

## Aftermath

The newly elected National Assembly was opened on 4 April. A government was formed with Nassour Guelendouksia Ouaido as Prime Minister on 21 May.