Presidential poll: Chad opposition candidate’s party alleges vote fraud

Chadian Prime Minister and presidential candidate Succes Masra’s party on Wednesday condemned violence and threats against him and his supporters, as well as alleged vote fraud at elections this week.

Masra, a former opposition figure, is the main election rival of transitional president and junta leader Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno, who has been in power for three years.

Masra is under “surveillance” and faces “threats to his safety”, his party The Transformers said in a statement on Facebook.

The party and the political Justice and Equality Coalition which supports it also denounced “threats and serious violence” targeting its supporters and arbitrary arrests since Monday’s vote.

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It also complained that access to voting stations in order to observe the count had been denied.

And it said there had been “unimaginable violations, including shooting with live ammunition in order to monopolise ballots and reports of proceedings”.

The Transformers urged people to “remain vigilant and mobilised to defend their will expressed at the ballot box”.

Official results are expected on May 21.