Hommam Al Nassim 
Chad’s Constitutional Council has approved ten presidential candidates, including interim President Mahamat Idriss Déby and the newly appointed prime minister.
The first round of elections is scheduled to be held on the sixth of May, and the second round on the twenty-second of June.
Déby initially promised an 18-month transition to elections during his time in power in 2021, following the death of his longtime father in clashes with “rebels”.
The government’s decisions to postpone the elections until 2024 sparked protests that were suppressed by security forces and allowed Déby to run for president.
In December, voters gave the green light to a new constitution, which some saw as increasing Déby’s control over power by giving him permission to run for president.
The final list of candidates announced on Sunday included opposition leader Susis Masra, who was appointed in January as prime minister in the transitional government.
For the first time in Chad’s history, the president and prime minister will compete against each other in a presidential election.
Masra fled the country following a deadly crackdown by security forces on protesters in the capital N’Djamena in October last year.
Chad’s current military government is part of a series of military councils that govern West and Central Africa, which have seen eight coups since 2020.
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