By Ken Afor
Chad’s Prime Minister, Success Masra, who was appointed by the junta, has announced his intention to contest the presidential election scheduled for May 6, 2024.
This announcement comes shortly after the transitional president, Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno, declared his candidacy.
Masra, 40, announced his candidacy at a campaign event attended by hundreds of supporters from his Transformers party on Sunday, stating that his intent to contest in the presidential election is to “heal hearts and unite the people.”
According to Masra, his candidacy is merely a strategy to create an illusion of pluralism in an election where the junta chief is expected to win, given that his main competitors are either deceased or in exile.
In response to critics who opposed his decision to form an alliance with the junta, Masra defended it as “an agreement of the brave,” emphasizing that their pursuit of justice does not devolve into a quest for revenge.
It would be recalled that Prime Minister Masra, who returned from exile on January 1, 2024, signed a reconciliation deal with Deby Itno before his appointment.
On the other hand, President Mahamat Deby came into power in April 2021 after the death of his father, Idris Deby, who was the leader of the country.
Mahamat Deby formed the Transitional Council Military (TCM), which he chaired from 2021 to 2022, making him the de facto President of Chad.
However, it was dissolved on October 10, 2022, following a “national dialogue” that named Deby Transitional President and replaced the TCM with a transitional administration appointed by him.
