Debbie's victory extends the rule of her family, which has had a firm grip on power for decades.
Chad's Constitutional Council recognizes Mahamat Idriss Deby as the winner of the May 6 presidential election after rejecting challenges from the two losers, a victory that extends his family's decades-long rule. was firmly established.
Deby, who seized power and declared interim leader on the day rebels killed her father, President Idriss Deby, won 61% of the vote in 2021, far ahead of the second-place candidate Success Masra with 18.54%. the council announced Thursday.
The oil-producing nation is the first in a series of coups in the Sahel region of West and Central Africa to hold elections and attempt to return to constitutional rule.
Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso remain key allies of the West in the fight against al-Qaeda and the ISIL affiliate (ISIS) in the Sahel, even though they have expelled Western forces and turned to Russia for support in their place. continued.
But the United States and former colonial power France have been on alert since Chad's air force commander last month ordered the United States to suspend operations at the air base, citing administrative issues. In response, the United States announced the temporary withdrawal of at least some troops.
Masra, who has been the interim government's prime minister since January, filed an appeal with the Constitutional Council on Monday challenging the provisional results announced last week.
Mr Masra claimed election fraud had been planned and claimed victory before preliminary results were officially announced. He said he plans to give a live address later Thursday.
Since gaining independence from France in 1960, Chad has experienced coups, dictatorships and rebel attacks.
Albert Pahimini Padakke, another candidate who contested the preliminary results, congratulated Debbie on her victory.
The Constitutional Council ruled that both allegations lacked sufficient evidence.
“Taking into account the votes cast during the May 6 presidential election, Mr. Mahamat Idriss Deby… received more than an absolute majority of the votes cast and declares him the next President of the Republic. “We have decided that it is appropriate to do so,” the council said in a statement. Chairman Jean-Bernard Padare said:
International human rights groups said the election would be neither credible nor fair.
The International Federation for Human Rights warned that the election was “not credible, free or democratic.”
The International Crisis Group also noted that “a number of problems in the run-up to the vote cast doubt on its credibility.”
Debbie's victory extends the rule of her family, which has held a firm grip on power since Debbie's father took over in a coup in the early 1990s.
Amnesty International and Chadian media said at least 10 people, including children, were killed and dozens injured in gunfire at a celebration on Friday after preliminary results were announced.
