Chad's Interim Prime Minister Challenges Election Results

N'DJAMENA, CHAD — Chad's interim Prime Minister, Succès Masra, has officially challenged the preliminary results of the recent presidential election, filing a petition with the Constitutional Council.

According to last week's results, General Mahamat Déby was declared the winner with 61% of the vote. However, Masra, asserting that he is the rightful victor, has raised serious concerns about the integrity of the election process.

In a statement released on social media, Masra announced, “With the help of our lawyers, today we submitted a request to the Constitutional Council to reveal the truth of the ballot boxes.”

His party, the Transformers’, has called for the annulment of the election results, citing allegations of ballot stuffing and claims that some boxes were removed by soldiers for counting in undisclosed locations.

The political atmosphere has grown increasingly tense, with reports of arrests among the opposition and threats directed at Masra and his supporters.

Despite these challenges, Masra has emphasized the importance of peaceful advocacy, stating, “the change you want to see cannot happen in a destroyed country,” and has encouraged his followers to continue peaceful demonstrations to protect their votes.

The Constitutional Council is expected to make a decision soon on whether to validate the preliminary election results or annul them as requested by Masra and Yacine Abdramane Sakine, another opposition candidate.

While the council has not yet confirmed Déby as the president, he has already received congratulations from some international leaders, including Nigeria's Bola Tinubu and Guinea Bissau's Umaro Sissoco Embalo.

This international recognition comes amidst a backdrop of domestic unrest and calls for transparency and fairness in the electoral process