Chad: Charged pre-election atmosphere as opposition calls for boycott

During a press conference on Monday in N'Djamena, Chad at the headquarters of the Transformateurs party of opposition leader Dr Succès Masra, he described the upcoming April 11 election as a masquerade. 

Accusing the regime of abuse, he presented the media with the remnants of ammunition that were fired by police at the political site.

"It's a joke in a way but it's about changing the leadership to bring solutions to the lives of Chadians, so for us it's not an election as such, that's why we will fight until the last day the 11th -- to organize a very active boycott of these elections. In short, to prevent the elections from taking place. 

"And if by any chance he were to force this sixth mandate that the people do not want, well, everyone will have been taken to task and I believe that our objective will be to make the country ungovernable because they have made this country unlivable for the entire Chadian population."

The camp on the other side, however, does not share the same view, and calls for a postponement or cancellation of the elections have so far been ignored by the government.

The current President Deby and candidate for his own succession came out on Monday to meet his voters in the 1st district of the capital in Farcha.

As he called on them to deliver a knockout at the polls on April 11.

It appears the calls have been heard by those who still believe in the current administration.

Ibrahim Sallé, a local Idriss Deby supporter have unwavering faith in his president.

"We have already gained a lot since the arrival of Mr Deby in power, but for the rest, we have confidence that he will complete it all. Our country has known more than 30 years of war, but since his arrival, many things have improved: the light, the roads -- he has done 80%. He has only 20% left, and we know that during the next 6 years he will accomplish the rest."

Promising Deby a victory, excited youth unleashed their zeal at his party's Farcha headquarters.

The next meeting of candidate Deby, that of the closure on April 9.

Special correspondent for Africanews Joel Honoré Kouam reports on the ground from N'Djamena:

"It is a charged atmosphere here in Farcha at the end of the meeting of candidate Idriss Deby who called for an electoral Knockout while Dr Succès Masra of the opposition reiterates and maintains his call to block the upcoming election."