Five days after the first round of the presidential election in Chad, the National Agency for the Management of Elections (ANGE) has announced the provisional results.
Mahamat Idriss Déby was elected president in the first round with 3,784,360 votes, representing 61.03% of the total, according to ANGE. He is followed by his Prime Minister Dr. Succès Masra, who received 1,149,199 votes, or 18.53%.
These provisional results will be forwarded to the Constitutional Council, which has 15 days to proclaim the final results of the presidential election. If there is no contestation of the provisional results announced by ANGE, the Constitutional Council will issue the final results within ten days.
Out of 8,202,207 registered voters, 6,224,387 cast their votes, with 23,686 spoiled ballots.
The participation rate was officially estimated at 75.89%.
In his first speech, the newly elected president aimed to be unifying. "I am the president of all Chadians," he declared.
These results demonstrate significant citizen participation in this presidential election, despite the logistical and security challenges the country has faced. Mahamat Idriss Déby, elected in the first round, thus succeeds his father, Idriss Déby Itno, who passed away in April 2021. He promises to continue the reforms initiated to stabilize the country and revive the economy. However, the final results from the Constitutional Council will be crucial in confirming his mandate and legitimizing his authority in the face of internal and external challenges that Chad faces.
The Chadian opposition, notably represented by Succès Masra, has expressed concerns about the credibility of the electoral process. Masra and his supporters have pointed out irregularities and anomalies in the voting process, even questioning the transparency of the results announced by ANGE. They have called for a meticulous examination of the polling records and an independent verification of the votes in several regions where they suspect manipulations.
Masra, as the main competitor, has urged his supporters to remain vigilant and to maintain peace, while asserting their right to legally challenge the results if evidence of irregularities is confirmed. He has also emphasized the importance of adhering to legal procedures and highlighted the role of the Constitutional Council as an impartial arbitrator needed to validate the final results of the election.
