US urges Chadian authorities to address concerns over presidential election
Washington, DC, US (PANA) - The US on Thursday urged the Chadian authorities to work with all stakeholders – especially political parties and civil society organisations – to address any concerns with the 6 May presidential election and strengthen the inclusivity and transparency of the Central African country's institutional framework for future elections.
A statement issued by Mr. Matthew Miller, Spokesperson for the Department of State, the US said following the certification of final results by Chad’s Constitutional Council on 16 May, it commends those who exercised their right to vote in the polls.
"We welcome the peaceful conduct of the voting and its aftermath, although we regret the multiple casualties from celebratory gunfire that followed the announcement of provisional results on May 9," the statement said.
The US noted that though the 10 candidates who were allowed to run generally followed the code of electoral conduct and were able to campaign nationally, "we are concerned, that 10 other candidates were disqualified with no avenue for appeal prior to the campaign".
The US said it was also concerned that the revision of the electoral list may have omitted many young voters who turned 18 after 2021 and that thousands of civil society and opposition party observers were barred from observing the electoral process on the day before the vote, including over 2,500 EU-trained observers.
"Although there were troubling shortcomings, we welcome the milestones in Chad’s transition process, including negotiating with insurgents, undertaking a National Dialogue, holding a constitutional referendum, and conducting a presidential election."
The US expressed regret that Chad’s transitional government was not "fully inclusive in setting up the institutions responsible for organising elections and adjudicating electoral disputes".
This exclusion, it said, contributed to legitimate concerns about transparency that undermined public confidence in the election and in the democratic process.
Chad's junta leader General Mahamat Idriss Deby won the presidential election with 61 percent of the vote, according to final results announced by the Constitutional Council on Thursday.
The court rejected the bid by his rival, Prime Minister Succès Masra, to annul the result which he launched after claiming victory in the vote.
Masra came second with 18.54 percent, while former prime minister Albert Pahimi Padacké won 16.93 percent, Constitutional Council president Jean-Bernard Padare said.
-0- PANA MA 17May2024
