Hours after he was declared winner of Monday’s presidential poll by the electoral body, Chad’s military leader, Mahamat Déby has promised to diligently serve the Chadian people.
In a victory speech after being declared winner with 61% of the votes, he said he would be president for “all Chadians” and not just those who voted for him.
“I have a special thought for the unfortunate candidates who have lost the competition,” he added in the speech posted to social media.
It came amid allegations by his Prime Minister, Succès Masra of cooked-up results.
Mr Masra, an opposition candidate who emerged second with 18.5% declared himself the winner, accusing unnamed individuals of tampering with results to favour Gen Déby.
He has called on his supporters to “peacefully” mobilise to defend their votes.
After the electoral body announced the provisional results, supporters of the ruling coalition stormed the streets of N’Djamena to celebrate Gen Déby’s victory.
Opposition candidate and former interim Prime Minister Pahimi Padacké congratulated the military leader, urging his supporters to be calm and embrace national unity.
“We reject any auction of violence, under any pretext, aimed at making Chadian shed blood again,” he cautioned.
Meanwhile, gunshots were heard in the capital, even though the authorities had prohibited the military from firing shots in the air after the announcement.
