Chad: Presidential election results expected in a 2 weeks

[Elvis Boh with REUTERS] The official results of Chad’s presidential election will only be known after two weeks, Chadian election officials say.

The voters turned out massively on Sunday to elect a president with incumbent Idris Deby Itno standing for re-election.

Voting went on as normal and polling stations closed at 6 pm as stipulated by law, giving room for vote counting.

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.

“We came to vote for the president to guarantee peace in our country. Around us in the neighboring countries there are too many problems,” a civil servant, Fatima Zara said.

“I got up early to come and vote because we want change,” Mathieu Madjitulnagar, an unemployed Chadian told reporters.

Security measures were reinforced during vote in strategic areas of capital city N’Djamena.

According to news agencies, internet connection was continuously perturbed since the morning hours.

The military and refugees had voted on Saturday and some military staff who never voted on the eve were given the opportunity to cast their votes on Sunday.

Idris Deby Itno seized power in 1990 and has been challenged by 13 opposition leaders as he seeks fifth term.

“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 reporters.

About 6 million Chadeans were eligible to vote in Sunday’s election.