Witnesses said thousands of voters cast their ballots at polling
stations in the capital in the first election the central African
country has held using biometric data.
Chadian
President Idriss Deby (2nd R) arrives at a polling station during the
presidential election in Ndjamena, Chad, April 10, 2016.
Chad voted in a presidential election on Sunday with incumbent Idriss Deby
running for a fifth term in office, arguing that only his government
can maintain stability in the face of a threat from Islamist militants.
Boko Haram
has staged a series of attacks in Chad in the past year as part of a
campaign to expand its Islamist insurgency from bases in northeastern
Nigeria into neighbouring countries.
Chad has one
of the most capable armies in the region and Deby has played a key role
in efforts backed by the West to combat the group, which is linked to
Islamic State, as well as other militants linked to al Qaeda.
"I
call on Chadians to vote in calm and serenity. Our country is starting
from a long way back but the future looks bright. I ask all politicians
to respect the verdict of the ballot box," Deby told journalists as he voted.
Witnesses
said thousands of voters cast their ballots at polling stations in the
capital in the first election the central African country has held using
biometric data.
"We came to vote for the
president to guarantee peace in our country. Around us in the
neighbouring countries there are too many problems," said civil servant Fatima Zara.
Polling
stations closed at 6 p.m. (1700 GMT) and vote counting began, watched
in some places by small crowds. Results are not expected for two weeks,
according to a timetable set out by the electoral commission.
The
president, who led a rebellion to power in 1990, is favourite to defeat
13 challengers including opposition leader Saleh Kebzabo who argues
that Chad needs change.
Chad's constitution allows
Deby to run but he has pledged to reintroduce term limits which were
abolished by his government in 2004. Other African leaders have been
trying to abolish term limits in order to extend their rules, leading to
violence in Burundi, Burkina Faso and Congo Republic.
Deby's
political advantages after decades in power include effective control
of state media as well as the institutions of state and local
administrations.
The economy of the landlocked
country relies largely on oil production and a slump in global prices
has hit government revenue. One challenge facing the next government
will be to diversify an economy in which many live in poverty.
"I got up early to come and vote because we want change," said Mathieu Madjitulngar, an unemployed man queuing at a polling station in a suburb of the capital.
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