Chad presidential vote set to end military rule
Chad is poised to make history as the first among Africa’s current junta-led states to transition to democratic governance with the upcoming presidential election on Monday.
This marks the conclusion of a three-year transition period initiated following the sudden demise of longstanding leader Idriss Deby Itno during the conflict with rebels.
However, with Gen Mahamat Déby, the late leader’s son and successor, being a frontrunner in the race, doubts linger regarding the potential for substantial change.
Prime Minister Succès Masra stands as one of his nine competitors and is viewed as his primary challenger.
The exclusion of ten other candidates, including notable figures such as Nassour Ibrahim Neguy Koursami and Rakhis Ahmat Saleh, by the constitutional council due to various discrepancies, like the forgery accusation against Mr. Koursami, has raised concerns about political motivations behind the decision.
Yaya Dillo, another potential contender, met his demise in February at the hands of security forces while purportedly leading an assault on the National Security Agency headquarters in the capital, N’Djamena.
Calls for an election boycott from activists, who perceive it as a strategy to confer democratic legitimacy upon the Deby dynasty, have resonated, especially among those who remain in exile following the lethal crackdown on dissenters after the October 2022 protests.
Nonetheless, Chad’s electoral process represents a significant milestone for countries in West and Central Africa grappling with military rule since the wave of coups in 2020.
It could potentially offer a blueprint for juntas aiming to sustain their political influence after initially seizing power illegitimately.
Since gaining independence from France in 1960, this oil-exporting nation of nearly 18 million people has not experienced a genuinely free and fair transfer of power.
Idriss Déby overthrew Hissène Habré in 1990 and remained in charge for the following three decades until his battlefield death in April 2021 at the age of 68.
His son, now 40, took over in what opponents described as a constitutional coup and initially pledged to stay on as interim leader for just 18 months, a period that was later extended. He also said that he would not run for president.
Gen Déby has tried to dismiss concerns that he is part of a dynasty.
“If I am elected, I will serve my five-year term and at the end of my term, it will be up to the people to judge me. As for a dynasty, our constitution is very clear – a candidate cannot serve more than two successive terms, “ he told the France 24 TV channel.
Mr Masra, who is also 40, was named prime minister by Gen Déby in January after a deal was brokered to mend political fractures from the October 2022 protests.
The economist has been accused by some of betraying the opposition but he has dismissed rumours of a secret post-election power-sharing agreement with Gen Déby.
He has urged Chadians to vote for him to end six decades of “obscurity” and “darkness”.
People are desperate for change in Chad, says the BBC’s Paul Njie in N’Djamena.
But when it comes to the vote, there is a mixture of hope and despair, he adds.
Hope that this vote, whoever wins, could spark a new era of young leadership in the country, but despair as over the past three decades, life has become tougher for many in the country.
