Chadians vote to elect their president after three years of military power

2024-05-06 06:33:09

Chadians are called to the polls on Monday to put an end to three years of military power in a presidential election marked by an unprecedented duel between the transitional president, General Mahamat Déby, and his Prime Minister and former opponent Succès Masra. Former head of government Albert Pahimi Padacké and seven other candidates are also in the running.

Published on : 06/05/2024 – 08:33Modified : 06/05/2024 – 10:41

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Chadians began voting on Monday April 6 for the first time since the military took power in 2021.

Polling stations scattered across this vast Central African country, semi-desert or desert over 80% of its surface, opened at 6 a.m. (5 a.m. GMT) and must close at 5 p.m. (4 p.m. GMT).

In analysts’ eyes, Mahamat Idriss Déby, who came to power as Chad’s “transitional president” in April 2021 when his father, President Idriss Déby, was assassinated by rebels, is the poll favorite . However, his main rival, Succès Masra, who is none other than his Prime Minister, attracted larger crowds than expected during the campaign.

Read alsoPresidential election in Chad: Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno, a discreet general in the footsteps of his father

The election is being held as the United States announced at the end of April the temporary withdrawal of part of its troops deployed in Chad, which Western powers consider an important ally in the face of Russia’s growing influence in the region. and faced with the insurgency of jihadist groups.

Some 8.5 million people are registered to vote. Soldiers began voting on Sunday.

Provisional results are expected by May 21, and final results in early June. A second round will be organized on June 22 if none of the candidates obtains more than 50% of the votes.

Read alsoPresidential election in Chad: Masra success, real opponent or ally of power?

In addition to Mahamat Idriss Déby and Prime Minister Succès Masra, former head of government Albert Pahimi Padacké and seven other candidates are in the running.

“Doubts about the credibility of the vote”

On Friday, the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) expressed concern about an “election which seems neither credible, nor free, nor democratic”, “in a deleterious context marked by (…) the multiplication of violations of human rights”.

The same day, the NGO International Crisis Group (ICG) also expressed “doubts about the credibility of the vote” after the ouster of candidates from a “muzzled political opposition”.

The two NGOs also question the “independence” of the two institutions responsible for organizing the vote and proclaiming the results, whose members were appointed by Mahamat Idriss Déby: the Constitutional Council – which invalidated ten candidates – and the National Election Management Agency (Angel).

“The new electoral code removed the obligation to display (counting) reports outside polling stations and allows results to be published only at the regional level, which will prevent observers from consolidating the results. results by polling station to verify the figures”, regrets the ICG.