Campaigning ends ahead of presidential poll in Chad

By James Tasamba

KIGALI, Rwanda (AA) — Campaigning ended in Chad on Saturday ahead of Monday's presidential election to end a three-year transition to democratic rule in the West African nation.

More than 8 million Chadians are eligible to vote, according to the National Election Management Agency (ANGE).

Oloy Hassan, general rapporteur of the ANGE, assured over the weekend that all necessary measures have been taken to guarantee the presidential election's smooth conduct.

Results are expected on May 21.

Ten candidates are contesting in the presidential election, including Higher Education Minister Lydie Beassemda, the only female contender.

But, the race is expected to mainly be between Gen. Mahamat Idriss Deby, the transitional president, and Prime Minister Succes Masra.

Deby seized power in 2021 after the death of his father, Idriss Deby Itno, who died on the frontline of a war against rebels after ruling for 30 years.

The younger Deby had pledged to hand over power to an elected government after 18 months — a deadline that was missed — before postponing elections to this year.

He is running on the ticket of the ruling Patriotic Salvation Movement (MPS) party, founded by his father, after a new constitution adopted following a December referendum allowed him to seek election.

Deby also enjoys the backing of a coalition of over 200 other parties.

Masra, head of the Transformers party, returned to the country in November 2023 after a year in exile that followed an agreement signed in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, in which the military government guaranteed him free exercise of political activities.

Masra was a fierce critic of Deby until he was appointed prime minister of the transitional government in January this year.

He, along with other opposition politicians, fled into exile in the aftermath of deadly protests in October 2022 against the extension of military rule.

Masra is the main hope of the opposition, although some critics have dismissed his candidacy as a "sham" after he accepted a deal to serve in the transitional government.

During the campaigning period, Masra promised to increase access to electricity, water, and ensure security for all.

Expressing confidence in his chances of winning the vote, Masra called on supporters to act as "watchdogs" and secure the ballots at the polling stations to "avoid anything that could create suspicions of lack of transparency."

Albert Pahimi Padacke, the first transitional prime minister and Masra's predecessor, is another serious contender in the race.

Padacke campaigned on the promise to ensure security and reform the justice system.

He emerged second with more than 10% in the last presidential election in 2021.

Some opposition parties and civil society groups have called for a boycott of the vote, claiming Deby could influence the outcome of the poll.

The International Federation for Human Rights, the Chadian League for Human Rights, and the Chadian Association for the Promotion of Human Rights released a joint statement expressing concern over the human rights situation in the country and credibility of the election.

They cautioned that the election was being held in a "toxic context marked by mistrust in electoral institutions and the multiplication of human rights violations."

But Hassan, the electoral official, said the ANGE was "acting as an independent body, aims to organize free, transparent and credible elections."