Chad’s long-ruling President Idriss Deby Itno was re-elected to a sixth term with 79.32 percent of the votes cast in April 11’s election, according to provisional results from the electoral commission on Monday.
The elections were held on April 11 and had a turnout of just under 65%.
Former prime minister Albert Pahimi Padacke came in second with 10.32% of the vote, while Chad’s first female president candidate, Lydie Beassemda, secured 3.16%. The election was boycotted by the country’s top opposition leaders.
The first female president candidate in Chad’s history, Lydie Beassemda, came third with 3.16 percent.
The provisional results still need to be approved by the Supreme Court after it studies potential legal appeals.
Deby was expected to give a victory speech to supporters but his campaign director, Mahamat Zen Bada, said he had instead gone to visit Chadian soldiers on the front lines.
“The candidate would have liked to have been here to celebrate … but right now, he is alongside our valiant defense and security forces to fight the terrorists threatening our territory,” his campaign director Mahamat Zen Bada said.
After more than three decades in power, the victory of 68-year-old Deby was never in serious doubt after a campaign in which he faced a divided opposition lacking a major rival candidate and demonstrations were banned or dispersed.
Officially nine candidates were running against Deby, but three withdrew and called for the vote to be boycotted — though the Supreme Court kept their names on the ballots.
Deby campaigned on a promise of peace and security in a region that has been rocked by jihadist insurgencies.
Chad’s army said Monday it had killed more than 300 rebels following a heavily armed group’s incursion in the country’s north after election day.
