Chad's interim president Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno has won the presidential election, according to provisional results released by the National Election Management Agency (ANGE) on Thursday evening. Deby, 40, the candidate of For a United Chad coalition, won 61.03 percent of the votes, followed by Prime Minister Succes Masra who won 18.53 percent, according to the provisional results announced by ANGE President Ahmed Bartchiret. All political actors now need to maintain calm and peace during this crucial moment of our young democracy, Bartchiret said after announcing the results during a televised ceremony in the capital city of N'Djamena which was attended by government officials, election observers and diplomats. The results were contested by Masra who, before the proclamation of the results, said in a Facebook post that a count of the votes by his team showed he had a resounding victory. The provisional results will be submitted to the Constitutional Council, which will declare definitive results before June 5. Deby, a former army general, assumed power after his father, Idriss Deby Itno, died of wounds sustained on the front line in the country's north in April 2021. He has since led a transitional government to govern the central African country, which has been experiencing political and military crises.
