Chad Sets Presidential Election for May 6, Months Earlier Than Planned

Yaounde, Cameroon — Chad's electoral commission made a surprise announcement Tuesday that presidential elections to end three years of military rule in the central African country will take place May 6, several months earlier than planned. In making the announcement, the commission said the elections will mark a return to constitutional order and the end of General Mahamat Idriss Deby's transitional period, now in its third year. The 37-year-old became leader of Chad's Transitional Military Council in April 2021 after his father, Idriss Deby Itno, died while fighting northern rebels. The rebels said they wanted to end the older Deby's 31-year rule.  The younger Deby took over from his father and promised to head an 18-month transitional council but in October of 2022, he dissolved the council and declared himself interim president.  It is not yet known how many candidates will run in the May 6 polls. But last month, Chad's former ruling Patriotic Salvation Movement (MPS party) said that Mahamat Idriss Deby will be the party's nominee. A group of Chadian opposition leaders met Monday, before the elections date was disclosed, to select a candidate. They too decided to support Deby.  Takilal Ndolassem, the president of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Chad, took part in Monday's meeting and spoke to VOA by phone from N'djamena. Ndolassem said 127 opposition leaders who attended Monday's meeting in N'djamena decided to convene another meeting Friday because many other opposition leaders have indicated that they want to join the coalition that supports Deby as a presidential candidate. He said Deby has maintained the peace in Chad by disarming rebel groups and providing basic needs, including water, education, food and sources of livelihoods to millions of suffering civilians in a majority of Chad’s towns and villages. On Wednesday, Chad's state TV reported that Deby was on a tour of eight of Chad's 23 provinces, including Logone-Occidental, Logone-Oriental, Mandoul, Mayo-Kebbi-Est and Mayo-Kebbi-Ouest. State TV did not give a reason for his visits. Not all opposition leaders are supporting Deby. Gilbert Ratou Barka, the president of the opposition Artisans for a New Chad, or ARNT, has also declared that he will run in the May 6 elections. He said it is unfortunate that Deby is visiting some regions of Chad to begin campaigning before official campaigns are launched. Barka said ARNT wants Deby to respect the electoral calendar and stop the illegal campaign he wants to launch. He said Deby did not visit civilians since the food crisis, rebel attacks on communities, floods and humanitarian disasters caused by climate shocks and armed conflicts became acute within the past three months. Barka said Deby is manipulating civilians to maintain his grip on power. Campaigning for the first round of the presidential election is scheduled to begin on April 14 and end on May 4. Deby, in a message broadcast on Chad's state TV Wednesday, said elections will be free, fair and transparent. Barka said he is surprised that the elections body scheduled the polls for May 6 when Deby had said earlier they would be in October, shortly before the mandate of the transitional government ends on October 10.