Voting ends, counting commences in Chad Presidential election
In Chad, the presidential election that is meant to bring an end to three years of military rule began counting on Monday night.
But it escalated into an extraordinary confrontation between the junta's leader, General Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno, and his Prime Minister, Succès Masra, a former foe who became an ally.
One voter, Fougap Kayap Sougou, reflected on the mood, stating, "If I was to compare it to previous elections, I think this year there is a desire for change that I’ve noticed in everyone. A lot of people have come out to vote. There is a large number of people at the polls."
There were ten contenders on the ballot, one of whom was a woman. Chad is one of the world's poorest countries, with over 8 million registered voters out of a total population of over 17 million.
But some observers had trouble becoming accredited, and the Citizens' Alliance for Elections, a monitoring group, said as much in a statement released on Sunday. No reason was provided for the rejections.
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