Chad’s ruling party on track for parliament majority

The MPS party of Chad’s military ruler President Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno appears set for a solid majority in parliament after general elections in December that were boycotted by opposition parties, according to an AFP tally of provisional results.

Deby and his government have presented the elections as the final stage in the transition to democracy after he seized power in 2021 after the death of his father, who had ruled the Sahel country for three decades.

Voting took place on December 29 against a backdrop of attacks by the jihadist group Boko Haram in the Lake Chad region and the ending of a military accord with former colonial master France.

The head of the country’s voting commission, Ahmed Bartchiret, said 38 political groupings would be represented in the assembly after presenting Saturday province-by-province results of the legislative and provincial votes.

But the commission did not provide a breakdown of the number of seats, nor the results of municipal elections also held on December 29.

An analysis by AFP determined that Deby’s MPS would have 124 of parliament’s 188 seats after the first legislative elections held in the country since 2011.

Turnout for the parliament and provincial elections was 51.56 per cent, which opposition parties said showed voter doubts about the validity of the contests amid allegations of fraud.

But Bartchiret said “The elections were held on a Sunday, a holy day for Christians, and during the year-end holidays,” which explained the “moderate” turnout.

“Overall the elections… took place in a satisfactory manner,” he said.

Official results are due on February 3.