Leading opposition in Chad announces boycott of legislative elections

Succès Masra, the leader of the Transformers party, which is the main opposition to Chadian President Mahamat Idriss Déby, has declared that it will boycot the legislative and local elections set for December 29.

Masra made this announcement during a ceremony honoring the events of October 20, 2022, when military and police forces reportedly killed at least 300 young protesters opposing the military junta supporting Déby, as reported by various national and international NGOs.

The 41-year-old economist, who briefly served as Prime Minister under Mahamat Idriss Déby before opposing him in the presidential election, surprised many by drawing large crowds across the country during his campaign.

This election was boycotted by a segment of the opposition and deemed "neither credible, nor free, nor democratic" by the International Federation for Human Rights.