In a move that surprised absolutely no one, Chad’s prime minister and leading opposition figure, Succes Masra, threw in the towel following the predictably contentious presidential election. Masra resigned after interim President Mahamat Idriss Deby was confirmed as the winner of the May 6 vote, solidifying yet another chapter in the Deby family saga.
Why It Matters
Masra, who has been a thorn in the side of the ruling junta since they snatched power in April 2021, was brought on as prime minister of the transitional government in a rather obvious attempt to placate the restless opposition. His candidacy was given the green light in March for the presidential race, an effort to restore some semblance of constitutional normalcy to the oil-rich nation that’s been a hotbed of political unrest.
Before the ink could dry on the ballots, Masra boldly declared victory, accusing the powers that be of orchestrating an electoral farce. However, Chad’s electoral body wasted no time in announcing that Deby had clinched the presidency with a comfortable 61% of the vote. The constitutional council, not one to rock the boat, promptly rubber-stamped this outcome.
What They Are Saying
With a resigned shrug, Masra accepted the council’s ruling, conceding that there were no legal avenues left to challenge the results. “In accordance with the constitution, I have today presented… my resignation and that of the transitional government, which has become irrelevant with the end of the presidential election of May 6,” Masra lamented on social media platform X.
Bottom Line
And so, the Deby dynasty marches on. Mahamat Idriss Deby’s victory ensures the continuation of his family’s stranglehold on Chad, a legacy initiated by his father’s coup in the early 1990s. The political theatre in Chad remains as predictable as ever, with power firmly rooted in the Deby lineage and the opposition left to pick up the pieces.
