Chad’s interim Prime Minister Succès Masra has taken a bold step in contesting the outcome of last week’s presidential election, filing a petition with the Constitutional Council to challenge the preliminary results.
Despite General Mahamat Déby being declared the winner with 61% of the vote, Masra asserts that he is the rightful winner and seeks to unveil the truth of the ballot boxes.
In a social media post on Sunday, Masra declared, “With the help of our lawyers, today we submitted a request to the Constitutional Council to reveal the truth of the ballot boxes.”
His opposition party, Transformers, alleges widespread irregularities, including ballot stuffing and the removal of boxes by soldiers for counting in undisclosed locations.
The opposition has faced challenges beyond electoral disputes. Masra reported arrests of opposition members and threats against himself and his supporters. Despite this, Masra urged his followers to remain peaceful, emphasising the importance of preserving their country amid calls for change.
Masra had earlier encouraged peaceful demonstrations to defend their votes, a move supported by fellow candidate Yacine Abdramane Sakine.
The fate of the election results now lies with the Constitutional Council, which will determine whether to uphold the preliminary outcome or annul the election as requested by Masra and Sakine.
While the Constitutional Council is yet to confirm General Mahamat Déby as Chad’s new president, some regional leaders have preemptively extended congratulations.
This includes Nigeria’s Bola Tinubu and Guinea Bissau’s Umaro Sissoco Embalo, despite the ongoing dispute over the election results. The council’s decision in the coming days will be critical in determining the legitimacy of Chad’s presidential transition.
