Yaoundé, Cameroon – Campaigning has begun in Chad ahead of presidential elections scheduled for May 6th, with 10 candidates.
As election campaigning intensifies in the Central African country, the Conference of Catholic Bishops of Chad (CET) has called on the country's transitional government to act, asking for measures to ensure a successful presidential election.
Chad's military junta promised a return to democratic rule after seizing power in 2021 when former president Idriss Deby was killed on the battlefield while fighting rebels.
In a referendum held in December 2023, the Chadian people supported a revised constitution, arguing that it could solidify political dominance by allowing military junta leader Mahamat Idriss Deby to run for president. It has been criticized. The current leader is the son of the former president. The current prime minister, Success Masra, is also running for president.
In a statement on April 15, the bishops acknowledged the importance of the poll in returning the country to constitutional rule.
“The people of Chad have high expectations for the elections, as they envisage the possibility of an exit from the transition period and the gradual establishment of strong and reliable republican institutions,” the bishops said.
Chad is a religiously diverse country, with 55 percent of the country being Muslim, over 41 percent Christian, and the majority Catholic.
Masra, who was once a vocal critic of Chad's military rule, had fled the country following deadly clashes during protests in N'Djamena in October 2022. Masra returned to Chad after a peace deal signed in November guaranteed his political rights. And he was appointed prime minister earlier this year.
Chad has several regions. The Sahara Desert in the north, the arid central region known as the Sahel, and the more fertile Sudanese savannah region in the south.
Dr Evaristo Ngarle Torde, a political scientist at N'Djamena University, criticized the candidacies of Deby and Masura. He said election laws prohibit soldiers from running for political office unless they renounce their military status.
“There is nothing to say he (Debbie) left the military and therefore he is not eligible,” Trude said.[Deby}lefttheArmyandthereforeheisnoteligible”Toldetold[Deby}lefttheArmyandthereforeheisnoteligible”Toldetoldcore.
“The same is true for the prime minister. The electoral law states that you must have lived in Chad for at least one year to be eligible. That is not the case for the prime minister. Oddly enough, the two candidates “It means there is an agreement between them.”
Mr Tolde also said that the structure of the country's election management body was flawed, with very serious candidates barred from contesting with false arguments.
“The president has appointed almost all the members of the National Electoral Authority, but almost all of them belong to the ruling party or its allies, which means that this body is not independent at all,” Tolde said. Ta. core.
“Thus, this election, which should be so important for a return to constitutional order, seems to have lost its importance, because everything is set up to legitimize the Deby government. “Everyone knows that,” he said.
The bishops remain hopeful and urge the caretaker government to “guarantee the smooth conduct and success of the vote by adhering to electoral laws and transparency of election results, and promoting the free expression of choice of each citizen.” We ask that all possible measures be taken to do so.” votes cast in the ballot box. ”
In a statement, the bishops called on Chad's international allies to exercise their influence in guiding all parties towards a peaceful end to the transition period and the formation of credible institutions.
The bishops called on presidential candidates to seriously fulfill the commitments outlined in the code of conduct they endorsed and to ensure compliance by their faithful.
“We appeal to everyone to respect human dignity. The future of Chad rests in the hands of its children. Peace is above all a gift from God, something we must receive and build together. “Yes,” the bishops said.
“We pray that a good and merciful God will take care of our country and enlighten those involved in this process towards a definitive return to peace,” they said. Stated.
