Chad Votes In Triple Elections Amid Opposition Boycott

By Samaila Emmanuel Bzugu

Chad has begun voting in a general election that the government claims is a crucial step towards ending military rule, but the opposition has boycotted the elections, citing concerns that the results have been predetermined.

The low turnout in the capital N’Djamena has been attributed to “cold weather” by election officials, but opposition parties have urged the country’s eight million voters to shun the elections. President Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno, who was brought to power by the military in 2021, has called on citizens to vote en masse, but the opposition has denounced the elections as fraudulent.

The fabricated results are already in the computers

The boycott has left the field open for candidates aligned with the president, and the opposition has claimed that the results are already rigged. Succes Masra, leader of the opposition Transformers party, has stated that “the fabricated results are already in the computers.”

Despite the controversy, some citizens have turned out to vote, hoping for change and improvement in their living conditions. Patrice Lumumba Deoumoundou, a 39-year-old unemployed man, voted on Sunday morning, saying “nothing’s been done yet” and expressing his desire for more jobs, justice, and equality.

The elections are being monitored by around 100 foreign election observers and representatives of political parties, and the government has presented the elections as the final stage in the transition to democracy.

However, the opposition has raised concerns about the legitimacy of the elections, and the country is facing numerous challenges, including recurring attacks by the jihadist group Boko Haram and accusations of interference in the conflict in neighboring Sudan.