Chad’s leading opposition figure, Succes Masra, has lodged a legal appeal with the country’s constitutional council challenging the victory of Idris Deby in the just-concluded Presidential elections in the Central African country.
According to Reuters, the country’s national election management body late last week declared interim president and military leader General Mahamat Idriss Deby the winner of the presidential elections with over 61.3% of the votes according to the preliminary results, while opposition leader Succes Masra came a distant second with 18.53% of votes.
The election which was marred with disputes and challenges as observed by international observatory bodies took a weird turn when Succes Masra who also serves as a prime minister in the transitional government took to social media to announce his alleged victory claiming a massive electoral fraud had been planned.
This all happened before the official announcement of the preliminary result by the nation’s election management body.
Masra after the results had been announced and Idriss Deby declared winner again took to social media to share his legal efforts against the purported victory of Idriss Deby in the polls.
“With the help of our lawyers, … we submitted a request to the Constitutional Council to reveal the truth of the ballot boxes,” Masra said in posts on social media platforms Facebook and X on Sunday, urging his supporters to remain calm and trust the process.
Masra also shared a copy of receipts showing that indeed documents have been filed with the council which a close confidant to Masra said included copies of result sheets from polling stations and a table pulling together the figures and video allegedly showing actions of ballot stuffing and other election malpractices.
The political situation in Chad is currently tense following the elections as Chad became the first country out of the African countries that recently experienced a coup to attempt to go back to constitutional rule.
Dozens of people were injured and at least 10 killed during wild celebrations and gunfire following Deby’s electoral victory according to Amnesty International and local media.
Chad’s minister of health confirmed the news on dead and injured citizens but advised against the wounded getting media coverage by the press.
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What To Know
Mahamat Idriss Deby in April 2021 seized power in the Central African country after rebels killed his father on a visit to soldiers on the battlefield. Before his death, Senior Idriss Deby has ruled Chad for over three decades.
International bodies like the International Crisis Group stated that various problems in the run-up of the electoral process in the country have cast a shadow and doubts on the credibility of the presidential elections.
Chad shares an 85km border with Nigeria and political uncertainties and tension in the country are a security concern to its neighboring Nigeria.
