CHAD’S political landscape faces turbulence as opposition leader Succes Masra takes legal action to contest the outcome of the country’s presidential election, lodging a formal appeal with the constitutional council.
The state-run national election management body declared interim President Mahamat Idriss Deby the winner of the May 6 election with 61.3 percent of the vote, according to provisional results. Masra trailed behind with 18.53 percent, sparking allegations of electoral irregularities.
‘With the help of our lawyers, … we submitted a request to the Constitutional Council to reveal the truth of the ballot boxes,’ Masra announced on social media platforms Facebook and X, urging his supporters to maintain composure amidst the unfolding situation.
Masra’s appeal includes comprehensive evidence, as an opposition official close to him disclosed, comprising copies of results sheets from polling stations, a consolidated table of figures, and videos alleging instances of ballot stuffing and other fraudulent activities.
‘We documented everything,’ the official asserted.
The contested election outcome exacerbates political tensions in Chad, the first of several coup-affected countries in West and Central Africa striving to restore constitutional governance. Deby ascended to power in April 2021 following the demise of his father, long-ruling President Idriss Deby, amid rebel insurgencies.
However, the declaration of Deby’s victory triggered deadly incidents of celebratory gunfire, resulting in the loss of at least 10 lives, including children, and leaving numerous others injured, as reported by Amnesty International and Chadian media outlets.
Chad’s health ministry acknowledged the injuries sustained during the post-results celebrations but issued directives prohibiting journalists from filming or reporting on patients within hospitals, drawing condemnation from Chad’s press unions.
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