Vote counting began on Monday evening in Chad for a presidential election aimed at ending three years of military rule but turned into a notable showdown between General Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno, the junta leader, and his Prime Minister Succès Masra, a former adversary turned ally.
Reflecting on the atmosphere, one voter, Fougap Kayap Sougou, observed a palpable desire for change, stating, “If I were to compare it to previous elections, I think this year there is a desire for change that I’ve noticed in everyone. A lot of people have come out to vote. There is a large number of people at the polls.”
Featuring 10 candidates, including one woman, the election took place amidst challenges in a country with over 8 million registered voters in a population of more than 17 million, making Chad one of the world’s poorest nations.
Despite the turnout, some observers encountered accreditation issues, with no clear reasons provided for the refusals, as reported by the Citizens’ Alliance for Elections, a monitoring platform, in a statement released on Sunday.
