Presidential election underway in Chad

By Abdoulaye Adoum

N’DJAMENA, Chad

Chad went to the polls Sunday morning to elect a new president in an environment marked by social tensions.

Polling stations opened shortly after 7:00 a.m. [06:00 GMT] and closed at 6 p.m. local time [17:00 GMT], according to the Chadian Electoral Commission.

Chad is still the target of terrorist attacks from the armed group Boko Haram. The country also has been trying to curb the threat of rebellion by recently announcing a Front for Change and Harmony in Chad (FACT).

Voters decided between 13 candidates, including incumbent President Idriss Deby Itno who has been in power since 1990, and Saleh Kebzabo, leader of the opposition.

Despite the hostility of much of civil society, Deby is the favorite in this election and is seeking another five-year term.

Five civil society leaders who recently defied a ban on demonstrations have been imprisoned since 22 March.

Chad is one of the poorest countries in the world, rated 184th of 187 countries in the UN’s World Human Development Index.