Yaoundé, Cameroon—

Chad’s electoral commission unexpectedly announced on Tuesday that presidential elections to end three years of military rule in the Central African country will be held on May 6, months earlier than originally planned.

In making the announcement, the council said the election would mark a return to constitutional order and the end of General Mohamed Idriss Deby’s transitional period, now in its third year.

The 37-year-old became leader of Chad’s Transitional Military Council in April 2021 after his father, Idriss Deby Itno, was killed fighting rebels in the north. The rebels say they want to end Debi Sr.’s 31-year rule.

The younger Deby succeeded his father and promised to lead an 18-month transition committee, but in October 2022, he dissolved the committee and declared himself interim president.

It is unclear how many candidates will be on the May 6 ballot. But last month, Chad’s former ruling party, the Patriotic Salvation Movement (MPS), said Mohamed Idriss Deby would be its nominee.

A group of Chadian opposition leaders met on Monday to choose a candidate ahead of the election date being announced. They also decided to support Debbie.

Tajilal Ndolason, chairman of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Chad, attended Monday’s meeting and spoke to VOA by phone from N’Djamena.

Ndolason said the 127 opposition leaders who attended Monday’s meeting in N’Djamena decided to hold another meeting on Friday after many other opposition leaders said they wanted to join those supporting Deby as presidential candidate. alliance. He said Deby had kept peace in Chad by disarming rebel groups and providing basic needs such as water, education, food and sources of livelihood for millions of suffering civilians in most of Chad’s towns and villages.

On Wednesday, Chadian state television reported that Deby was touring eight of Chad’s 23 provinces, including Logone West, Logon East, Mandour, Mayo-Keb Oriental and Mayo-West. Kebbi Province. State television did not reveal the reason for his visit.

Not all opposition leaders support Deby. Gilbert Ratou Barka, president of the opposition Artisans of New Chad (ARNT), has also announced that he will participate in the May 6 elections. He said it was unfortunate that Deby was campaigning in some areas of Chad before the official campaign had launched.

Barca said the ARNT wanted Deby to respect the electoral calendar and stop the illegal campaign he wanted to launch. He said Deby had not visited civilians since the food crisis, floods and humanitarian disasters caused by rebel attacks on communities, climate shocks and armed conflict had become worse in the past three months. Barka said Deby was manipulating civilians to maintain his grip on power.

Campaigning for the first round of the presidential election is scheduled to begin on April 14 and end on May 4.

Deby said in a message broadcast on Chadian state television on Wednesday that the election would be free, fair and transparent.

Barka said he was surprised that the electoral body scheduled the vote for May 6, while Deby had earlier said the vote would be held in October, shortly before the transitional government’s term ends on October 10.