Voters Head to Polls in Chad’s Elections

Chad holds its crucial elections as voters cast their ballots, marking a significant moment in the country’s political landscape.

On Sunday, voters queued to cast their ballots in Chad’s parliamentary and regional elections, marking the end of a three-year transitional period from military rule.

The parliamentary election is Chad’s first in over ten years and follows months after junta leader Mahamat Idriss Deby claimed victory in a controversial presidential vote intended to restore democracy.

Deby assumed power in 2021 after the death of his father, Idriss Deby Itno, who had been president for thirty years.

The primary opposition party is boycotting the vote on Sunday, citing accusations that authorities have failed to conduct a credible electoral process.

A voter who cast his ballot at a polling station in N’djamena, the capital, remarked that he believed the voting process was “going well.”

“There are no issues,” Kathima Bagadaye stated. “We’re voting peacefully; there’s nothing noteworthy to report,” he added.

“We wish everyone the best of luck and hope that those we voted for will work effectively towards a better Chad,” said Mahamat Issa Hissein, another voter in the capital.

We anticipate a fresh start and hope that Chad will evolve with this new team.

The oil-exporting nation, home to 18 million people and one of Africa’s poorest countries, had not experienced a free and fair transfer of power since gaining independence from France in 1960.

This year’s elections mark the first in military-led nations of Africa’s Sahel region as part of a pledged, though postponed, transition back to democracy.

At least 8 million voters are registered to choose 188 legislators for the new National Assembly in this Central African nation.

Elections will also be held for representatives at both provincial and municipal levels, with results anticipated in approximately two weeks.

Over 10 opposition parties, including the leading Transformers party whose candidate Succes Masra finished second in the presidential election, are boycotting the vote.

The party has condemned both the parliamentary election and the presidential vote—an event from which many observers were excluded—as a “charade” designed to allow Deby to maintain power and perpetuate a “dynasty.”

Earlier this year, after returning from exile, Masra briefly held the position of prime minister before resigning to pursue a presidential campaign.

The election on Sunday is taking place during a crucial time for Chad, as the country faces numerous security threats. These range from Boko Haram militant attacks in the Lake Chad area to disruptions in its longstanding military partnership with France, which has been its main ally.