{"id":38852,"date":"2024-04-30T06:19:06","date_gmt":"2024-04-30T06:19:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/2024\/04\/30\/chad-election-2024-what-you-need-to-know\/"},"modified":"2024-04-30T06:19:06","modified_gmt":"2024-04-30T06:19:06","slug":"chad-election-2024-what-you-need-to-know","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/2024\/04\/30\/chad-election-2024-what-you-need-to-know\/","title":{"rendered":"Chad Election 2024: What You Need to Know"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"text-align:center\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1050\" height=\"550\" src=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2024\/04\/30\/multimedia\/30chad-bfmk\/30chad-bfmk-facebookJumbo.jpg?fit=1050,550&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"Chad Election 2024: What You Need to Know\" title=\"Chad Election 2024: What You Need to Know\" \/><\/div><p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<hr class=\"css-7ad88g e1mu4ftr0\"\/>\n<h2 class=\"css-9ycfei eoo0vm40\" id=\"link-544caec2\">Why does this election matter?<\/h2>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Chad\u2019s election on May 6 appears to offer voters a choice. But it\u2019s been masterminded, analysts say, to produce a single outcome: to rubber-stamp the rule of the incumbent, Mahamat Idriss D\u00e9by, who is seeking to transform himself from military leader to civilian president.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Mr. D\u00e9by seized power three years ago after his father, Idriss D\u00e9by, who ruled Chad with an iron fist for three decades, was <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2021\/04\/20\/world\/africa\/president-chad-killed.html\" title=\"\">killed \u2014 apparently on the battlefield<\/a>, fighting rebels trying to overthrow his government. His son\u2019s succession to the presidency was a clear violation of the country\u2019s Constitution. <\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Chad is a landlocked, arid country of 18 million people in Central Africa. Despite its wealth of natural resources, it is one of the world\u2019s poorest nations. <\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Nevertheless, it is sheltering hundreds of thousands of refugees from the war in neighboring Sudan.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Chad is also part of a <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2023\/07\/29\/world\/africa\/africa-coups-niger.html\" title=\"\">belt of African countries to have experienced coups<\/a> in the past four years, stretching from coast to coast.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">And it\u2019s the first of the junta-led countries to hold an election. Mali\u2019s government keeps delaying its promised vote. Last year Burkina Faso\u2019s military president, Ibrahim Traore, indefinitely postponed an election planned for July 2024, saying it was \u201cnot a priority.\u201d There is no end in sight for Guinea\u2019s supposedly transitional government.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Chad has built a reputation as a dependable security partner for Western countries in their fight against Islamist militants, at a time when other countries are pushing out Western allies. It\u2019s hosting hundreds of French troops after they were kicked out of neighboring Niger, and <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2024\/04\/25\/us\/politics\/chad-us-troop-withdrawal.html\" title=\"\">some American ones<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">But some American troops are <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2024\/04\/25\/us\/politics\/chad-us-troop-withdrawal.html\" title=\"\">leaving<\/a> after a letter from Chad\u2019s Air Force chief ordered them to stop activities on an air base in the capital, Ndjamena, U.S. officials said recently \u2014 at least until after the election.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"css-9ycfei eoo0vm40\" id=\"link-3f68702e\">Who is running?<\/h2>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Mr. D\u00e9by \u2014 known by his nickname, Kaka \u2014 was supposed to be an interim leader, and promised not to run \u2014 but he\u2019s at the top of the ballot. He is a four-star general who trained in Chad and France, and has three wives and many children.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">His prime minister, Succ\u00e8s Masra, is also a candidate. Mr. Masra used to be the country\u2019s best-known opposition leader and was living in exile until last year. But then he returned, made a deal with Mr. D\u00e9by and, since January, has led his government. Mr. Masra used to have considerable support but now many Chadians view him as a sellout.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Eight other candidates have been approved to run \u2014 but two key opposition leaders, Nassour Ibrahim Neguy Koursami and Rakhis Ahmat Saleh, were barred after the country\u2019s constitutional council said there were \u201cirregularities,\u201d including allegations of forgery by Mr. Koursami. But most observers said they thought the council\u2019s findings were politically motivated. <\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">The other name absent from the ballot is that of Yaya Dillo, who had been the foremost opposition leader. In February, <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2024\/02\/29\/world\/africa\/chad-yaya-dillo-killed.html\" title=\"\">he was shot dead<\/a> by security forces at his party\u2019s headquarters \u2014 <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/africa\/chad-opposition-figure-was-likely-shot-point-blank-range-experts-say-2024-04-08\/\" title=\"\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">an assassination, his party said<\/a>. Before that, dozens of protesters were killed in pro-democracy rallies. <\/p>\n<h2 class=\"css-9ycfei eoo0vm40\" id=\"link-1adf8ac9\">When will we find out the results?<\/h2>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">About a week after the election. If it goes to a runoff, that is to be held on June 22.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"css-9ycfei eoo0vm40\" id=\"link-28a19308\">Who is going to win?<\/h2>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">There has never been a free and fair election in Chad, and this one looks set to continue in that tradition. Analysts say the only path to Mr. Deby\u2019s losing power is through a coup d\u2019\u00e9tat. <\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">But even if he wins the vote, don\u2019t make the mistake of thinking he\u2019s popular, said Lynda Iroulo, a scholar of international relations at Georgetown University in Qatar. Despite a conspicuous absence of elections, she said the juntas in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger enjoy considerably more popularity than Chad\u2019s.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">\u201cMost of them have had some level of mass support,\u201d she said, largely because they are trying to \u201ccut off the French influence in their countries.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Thousands of people have rallied in support of the juntas in each country. Not so in Chad. Nevertheless, Mr. D\u00e9by has made sure that no candidate with enough support to defeat him will participate.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">\u201cMy whole life, I haven\u2019t seen any change occurring,\u201d said Julia Bealoum, a student in Ndjamena. \u201cI think things will continue as before.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"css-9ycfei eoo0vm40\" id=\"link-3dd2fdc0\">What are the geopolitical factors?<\/h2>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Chad has not faced the same wave of international condemnation that followed the <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/article\/burkina-faso-africa-coup.html\" title=\"\">coups<\/a> and <a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2024\/03\/22\/world\/africa\/democracy-senegal-africa-france.html\" title=\"\">democratic backsliding<\/a> in other African countries. The African Union did not suspend Chad\u2019s membership after the coup, or when Mr. D\u00e9by backtracked on his pledge not to run. When Mr. Dillo \u2014 the opposition leader \u2014 was killed, the United States and France said nothing.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">President Emmanuel Macron of France even sent his special envoy to Ndjamena 10 days after Mr. Dillo\u2019s death, to offer his \u201cadmiration\u201d for the electoral process.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">It was a far cry from the condemnation that met the coups in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger \u2014 or their juntas\u2019 subsequent failure to hold elections. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"css-53u6y8\">\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">Many voters in Chad feel that Western countries call the shots, and are highly critical of France despite the two governments\u2019 close relationship.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\">\u201cI don\u2019t think it\u2019s possible for a country like Chad to organize a transparent election, because we are ruled by Western powers, especially France, who just look after their own interests,\u201d said Richard Djitaingar, the owner of a small cellphone shop in Ndjamena.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"css-9ycfei eoo0vm40\" id=\"link-5f32554b\">Where can I find more information?<\/h2>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\"><a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2024\/04\/25\/us\/politics\/chad-us-troop-withdrawal.html\" title=\"\">U.S. to Withdraw Troops From Chad, Dealing Another Blow to Africa Policy<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\"><a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2024\/02\/29\/world\/africa\/chad-yaya-dillo-killed.html\" title=\"\">Opposition Leader in Chad Is Killed in a Shootout Months Before Elections<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\"><a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2023\/09\/29\/world\/africa\/sudan-war-united-arab-emirates-chad.html\" title=\"\">Talking Peace in Sudan, the U.A.E. Secretly Fuels the Fight<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"css-at9mc1 evys1bk0\"><a class=\"css-yywogo\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2022\/10\/21\/world\/africa\/chad-protests.html\" title=\"\">Security Forces Open Fire on Protesters in Chad, Killing at Least 50<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"css-798hid etfikam0\">Mahamat Adamou contributed reporting from Ndjamena, Chad.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"css-ew4tgv\" aria-label=\"companion column\"\/><\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2024\/04\/30\/world\/africa\/chad-election-2024.html\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Why does this election matter? Chad\u2019s election on May 6 appears to offer voters a choice. But it\u2019s been masterminded, analysts say, to produce a single outcome: to rubber-stamp the rule of the incumbent, Mahamat Idriss D\u00e9by, who is seeking to transform himself from military leader to civilian president. Mr. D\u00e9by seized power three years [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":38853,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/static01.nyt.com\/images\/2024\/04\/30\/multimedia\/30chad-bfmk\/30chad-bfmk-facebookJumbo.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[20701,50],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38852"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=38852"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38852\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":38854,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38852\/revisions\/38854"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/38853"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=38852"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=38852"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=38852"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}