African nation Chad is voting in legislative, provincial, and local elections on Sunday, despite an opposition boycott, as the country moves toward a political transition after three years of military rule.
Voting booths will be open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. (0500 to 1700 GMT) for the approximately eight million registered voters, overseen by a hundred foreign observers and representatives of different political parties.
Soldiers, members of the police forces and nomadic people began voting on Saturday.
Opposition alleges fraud
However, the opposition is boycotting the elections, leaving the field open to candidates aligned with Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno.
The military first steered Itno into power in 2021 after his father's death.
The elder Idriss Deby Itno had ruled the Sahel country with an iron fist for three decades before his son took control.
In May, the younger Itno won a disputed presidential election. His government is presenting these polls as a step toward transition to democratic rule.
Opposition leader Succes Masra criticized the process, alleging fraud and urging a boycott. "It is better to stay at home," Masra said in a Facebook live on Saturday
"The fabricated results are already in the computers," he said.
Meanwhile, the opposition party PDPT reported missing ballots in the southern city of Bongor and called for vigilance against alleged fraud.
Source: DW
Bd-pratidin English/Lutful Hoque
