Chad’s prime minister and opposition leader Succes Masra has resigned following the confirmation of interim President Mahamat Idriss Deby as the winner of the May 6 presidential election.
“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, 2024, with known results” Masra said on X (Twitter) on Wednesday, May 22.
When was Masara appointed PM?
Masra, a strong opponent of the junta, was appointed prime minister of the transitional government in January 2024, four months ahead of the poll, in a move to establish a positive relationship with the opposition.
Not long after that, he declared his intentions to run for president In March, to return the country to constitutional rule.
State of democracy
The oil-exporting country of nearly 18 million people hasn’t had a democratic transfer of power since it became independent in 1960, after decades of French colonial rule.
Before the official announcement of preliminary results, Masra claimed victory, alleging that electoral fraud was being planned.
The real results
Chad’s electoral body however declared Deby Itno won as the winner with 61% of the vote, while the leading opposition candidate and head of the transitional government, Prime Minister Succès Masra, lagged far behind with an 18.5% share.
Masra has acknowledged the council’s ruling and said there were no other legal means to contest the results.
Deby Itno, also known as Mahamat Idriss Deby, seized power after his father, who spent three decades in power, was killed fighting rebels in 2021. The long-delayed election came after three years of military rule. Analysts had widely expected him to win.