Chad goes to polls amid opposition boycott

Chad is voting in legislative, provincial, and local elections on Sunday, despite an opposition boycott, as the country moves toward a political transition after three years of military rule.

Voting booths will be open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. (0500 to 1700 GMT) for the approximately eight million registered voters, overseen by a hundred foreign observers and representatives of different political parties.

Soldiers, members of the police forces and nomadic people began voting on Saturday.

Opposition alleges fraud

However, the opposition is boycotting the elections, leaving the field open to candidates aligned with Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno.

The military first steered Itno into power in 2021 after his father's death.

The elder Idriss Deby Itno had ruled the Sahel country with an iron fist for three decades before his son took control. 

In May, the younger Itno won a disputed presidential election. His government is presenting these polls as a step toward transition to democratic rule.

Opposition leader Succes Masra criticized the process, alleging fraud and urging a boycott. "It is better to stay at home," Masra said in a Facebook live on Saturday

"The fabricated results are already in the computers," he said.

Meanwhile, the opposition party PDPT reported missing ballots in the southern city of Bongor and called for vigilance against alleged fraud.

Voting amid security challenges

Voting is being held amid Boko Haram attacks, tensions with France, and allegations of interference in Sudan's conflict.

The legislative elections in Chad, the first since 2011, are taking place under heavy criticism of the government for autocratic practices and repression, highlighted by a media blackout due to a strike by online journalists.

In the May presidential election, Chad banned 2,900 EU-trained observers from monitoring the poll.

This article used material from French news agency AFP. 

Edited by; Wesley Dockery