N’DJAMENA: Chadians go to the polls on Monday three years after their military leader seized power, in the first presidential election in Africa’s Sahel region since a wave of coups.
Analysts say Mahamat Idriss Deby, who seized power the day rebels killed his long-ruling father Idriss Deby in April 2021, is most likely to win, although his chief opponent has been drawing larger-than-expected crowds on the campaign trail.
Deby has promised to bolster security, strengthen the rule of law and increase electricity production.
The vote coincides with a temporary withdrawal of US troops from Chad, an important Western ally in a region of West and Central Africa courted by Russia and wracked by jihadism.
Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 5 p.m., with some 8.5 million people registered to vote.
Soldiers began early voting on Sunday.
Provisional results are expected by May 21 and final results by June 5. If no candidate wins more than 50 percent of the votes, a run-off will be held on June 22.
Deby succeeded his father in leading the oil-producing Central African country. He has maintained a close relationship with France.
Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger turned to Moscow for support. Chad is the last Sahel state with significant French military presence.
The US announced a temporary troop withdrawal last month. It cited a need to review security operations post-election.
As Chad navigates this critical juncture in its political history, the world awaits the results of the presidential poll with anticipation and hope for a peaceful and democratic future.
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