Chad’s President Deby wins election against prime minister in heated race

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Violence and questions of election-rigging, however, marred nan provisional ballot tally, which was announced earlier than expected.

Published On 9 May 2024

Military leader Mahamat Idriss Deby has won a intimately watched presidential election successful nan state of Chad, according to provisional results released by its National Election Management Agency.

Deby secured much than 61 percent of nan vote, according to nan numbers released connected Thursday, eliminating nan request for a runoff pinch his closest rival, Prime Minister Succes Masra, who received 18.5 percent.

The triumph allows Deby, nan incumbent, to clasp onto nan presidency pinch a elector mandate.

Previously, he led nan state arsenic its interim president, seizing powerfulness aft his father, nan precocious President Idriss Deby, was killed successful April 2021 while fighting a rebel group successful nan northbound of nan country.

But his rival successful nan statesmanlike race, Masra, has already indicated he will not judge nan predetermination results.

Earlier connected Thursday, Masra issued a unrecorded broadcast connected Facebook declaring himself nan winner. He besides accused Deby and different authorities officials of rigging nan predetermination results to clasp onto power.

“A mini number of individuals judge they tin make group judge that nan predetermination was won by nan aforesaid strategy that has been ruling Chad for decades,” Masra said.

President Mahamat Idriss Deby casts his ballot successful nan statesmanlike race.President Mahamat Idriss Deby casts his ballot during nan May 6 statesmanlike predetermination [Stringer/Reuters]

Deby’s begetter had led nan state for much than 30 years, from 1990 to 2021, erstwhile he was changeable to decease soon aft his sixth statesmanlike victory.

Critics person accused some him and now his son, nan existent President Deby, of stifling nan opposition to support their grip connected power.

They person besides pointed to circumstances starring up to nan May 6 statesmanlike ballot that could person swayed its outcome.

For instance, 1 of nan starring guidance figures, Deby’s relative Yaya Dillo, was killed erstwhile information forces engaged successful a shootout astatine his statement headquarters.

Other guidance figures have been barred from moving complete “irregularities” successful their applications to campaign.

On Thursday, Masra called connected his supporters and information forces to backmost his declare to nan presidency and cull nan predetermination agency’s results.

“To all Chadians who voted for change, who voted for me, I say: mobilise. Do it calmly, pinch a tone of peace,” he said successful his Facebook broadcast.

A canvass worker holds up a ballot during nan statesmanlike title successful Chad.A canvass worker shows disconnected a transcript of nan statesmanlike ballot connected May 6, showing each 10 candidates [Desire Danga Essigue/Reuters]

Thursday’s results came earlier than expected, arsenic nan provisional results were primitively thought to get connected May 21.

Chad is considered nan first of nan military-led countries successful Africa’s Sahel region to clasp a antiauthoritarian election, though questions astir nan vote’s fairness and credibility person endured.

Nearby countries for illustration Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso person weathered coups that person near subject leaders successful complaint of their governments, too. Eight coups person struck nan region since 2020 alone.

This month’s statesmanlike title was besides nan first clip successful nan country’s history that an incumbent faced his premier curate successful nan polls.

Upon taking agency successful 2021, Deby pledged to clasp “free and antiauthoritarian elections” wrong 18 months – but his authorities extended nan modulation play until 2024, allowing Deby to stay successful agency successful nan interim.

During that time, he led a referendum connected a new constitution that allowed him to equine his 2024 predetermination bid.

A lifelong soldier, Deby led nan powerful DGSSIE, an acronym for nan General Direction of nan Security Services of State Institutions. In that role, he worked intimately pinch French troops.

Home to astir 18 cardinal people, Chad was nether French assemblage norm until 1960, and it remains nan past state successful nan Sahel region to person a French subject presence, pinch warplanes and troops stationed there.

In nan aftermath of Thursday’s announcement, information forces were stationed astatine intersections passim nan superior of N’Djamena, successful lawsuit of unrest.

Source

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Al PapaRead and news agencies


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