Chad’s Presidential Election Results: Déby Declared Winner Amid Fraud Allegations

The presidential elections in Chad were won by the head of the army, Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno. According to the preliminary results, Déby received 61.3 percent of the votes. His main competitor for the presidency, Prime Minister Succès Masra, disputes the result and says there was fraud.

Masra accused the authorities in one live video on Facebook about handling the outcome. Soon after, the preliminary results were announced, which were not expected until May 21. According to the Electoral Commission, Masra remained involved at 18.5 percent of the votes.

In the 11-minute video, Masra declared herself the winner. He asked soldiers, police and other security forces to ignore Déby’s orders. “These orders put you on the wrong side of Chad’s history,” Masra said. “You have to do things that are irreversible and unforgivable.”

Masra also called on his supporters to support him and reject the results of the election office. “To everyone in Chad who voted for change, who voted for me, I say: move. Do it quietly, in the spirit of peace.”

Déby took power in 2021 when his father, who had been president since 1990, he was killed. He promised to hold free and democratic elections within 18 months. His government extended the transition period to 2024, allowing Déby to remain as interim president. He promised not to stand for election in elections, but he did anyway.

Since the death of the former president, there have been frequent riots and demonstrations. Many demonstrators were arrested or killed. So came wide sixty people They died after being dissatisfied with what they saw as the undemocratic situation in the country.

After the provisional election results were released, Déby’s supporters took to the streets in the capital N’Djamena with flags. In a victory speech, Déby promised to serve all residents, “those who voted for me and those who made different choices.” He also expressed support for “the unfortunate candidates who lost the battle.”

The US and France see Chad as one of the last stable allies in the Sahel region after military coups in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger in recent years. The ruling juntas have expelled Western troops in those countries and called in Russian mercenaries for security assistance.