- Incumbent President Idriss Deby still has to be proclaimed winner of the 3 May elections by the "Independent Electoral Commission" (CENI), but Chadians are already shocked by the CENI's first announcement. It claims there was a voter turnout of more than 70 percent, while most expected that only about ten percent of voters had bothered to cast their ballot in a poll boycotted by the opposition.
CENI Chairman Ahmat Mahamat Bachir today published the first result from the presidential polls, only two days after the poorly communicated country had organised a troubled election exercise. Mr Bachir claimed to know the overall voter turnout and set it at "more than 70 percent".
The controversially high number was more or less confirmed by an election observer team from mostly West African states. The "independent" observers - few of them coming from democratic states - confirmed that the poll had been free, fair and transparent and that the overall turnout had been far more than 60 percent.
The handpicked international observer team was the only one present on 3 May, when President Deby sought his re-election for a third term at the Chadian presidency. Independent institutes and the European Union (EU) chose not to send observers as they considered the vote flawed from the beginning due to a lack of dialogue between Mr Deby and the opposition.
The country's main opposition had called for a boycott, and on election day, diplomats and journalists in Chad observed almost deserted towns and cities. In the capital, N'djamena, only a handful of Deby supporters went to the polling stations during the morning. In the afternoon, the capital was described as "deserted" by most foreigners.
The lack of interest at the presidential polls was not only due to the opposition boycott. The many rebel groups destabilising eastern Chad had also threatened to repeat their recent attack against N'djamena, causing a large part of city residents to flee the capital into Cameroon, on the other side of River Chari.
Diplomats and foreign journalists on 3 May held that no more than ten percent of voters in N'djamena went to the capital's polling stations. In eastern parts of the country, rebels made polling difficult, while the relatively densely population south of Chad was most affected by the boycott as President Deby has no support in the region. Opposition leaders today put the overall turnout at about two percent.
The presidential elections came at a time when President Deby faces massive resistance against his regime among Chadians. His democratic legacy was already shattered as the President pushed through an amendment to the constitution in 2004, allowing the Head of State to stand candidate for an unlimited number of five-year presidential terms. The referendum was said to be rigged in favour of Mr Deby's ambitions.
Before the polls, a total of 20 opposition parties urged for "dialogue before elections" to assure democratic structures and a credible composition of CENI. They won support from the African Union (AU) and EU, but were not heard by President Deby. Consequently, the opposition coalition decided to boycott the poll, leaving Mr Deby as the only known candidate.
Since the amendment to the constitution, President Deby has also lost support among his traditional supporters, who had hoped it would soon be their turn at the presidency. Several of the rebel groups operating today originated from the President's closest circles.
CENI is set to announce the final results on 14 May, thus announcing the re-election of President Deby. With today's announcement of a non-credible high voter turnout, Chadians are sure to distrust CENI's final count results. Many observers fear the whole election exercise may only contribute to more political instability in the impoverished nation.
afrol News - It is called "financial inclusion", and it is a key government policy in Rwanda. The goal is that, by 2020, 90 percent of the population is to have and actively use bank accounts. And in only four years, financial inclusion has doubled in Rwanda.
afrol News - The UN's humanitarian agencies now warn about a devastating famine in Sudan and especially in South Sudan, where the situation is said to be "imploding". Relief officials are appealing to donors to urgently fund life-saving activities in the two countries.
afrol News - Fear is spreading all over West Africa after the health ministry in Guinea confirmed the first Ebola outbreak in this part of Africa. According to official numbers, at least 86 are infected and 59 are dead as a result of this very contagious disease.
afrol News - It is already a crime being homosexual in Ethiopia, but parliament is now making sure the anti-gay laws will be applied in practical life. No pardoning of gays will be allowed in future, but activist fear this only is a signal of further repression being prepared.
afrol News / Africa Renewal - Ethiopia's ambitious plan to build a US$ 4.2 billion dam in the Benishangul-Gumuz region, 40 km from its border with Sudan, is expected to provide 6,000 megawatts of electricity, enough for its population plus some excess it can sell to neighbouring countries.
front page
| news
| countries
| archive
| currencies
| news alerts login
| about afrol News
| contact
| advertise
| español