Chad: Junta-appointed Prime Minister Succes Masra enters presidential race

Chad’s political landscape is ablaze with controversy as Prime Minister Succes Masra, appointed by the junta, declared his candidacy for the upcoming presidential elections on May 6. The announcement comes just days after the incumbent, General Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno, revealed his own bid for re-election.

Masra, a former opposition leader, returned from exile and signed a reconciliation deal with Deby Itno before assuming the role of prime minister earlier this year. Critics argue that Masra’s candidacy is a strategic move to project an illusion of political diversity in an election where the junta chief is widely expected to secure victory, given the absence of viable rivals due to death or exile.

At a campaign meeting attended by hundreds of supporters of his Transformers party, Masra, 40, expressed his intention to “heal hearts and unite the people.”

Responding to skepticism about his alliance with the junta, Masra defended it as “an agreement of the brave” aimed at preventing their pursuit of justice from transforming into a quest for revenge.

Masra’s history includes resigning from his position at the African Development Bank in 2016 to establish the Transformers. He had been a prominent critic of Chad’s veteran ruler, Field Marshal Idriss Deby Itno, who passed away in 2021 after three decades in power.

The opposition accuses Masra of orchestrating a “fake candidacy” to lend credibility to the military-led government. Max Kemkoye, spokesman for the GCAP grouping of opposition parties, dismissed Masra’s bid as a “farce” designed to complement the existing military power.

Masra’s candidacy follows the controversial death of General Deby’s main rival, Yaya Dillo Dejerou, who was shot dead on February 28 during a military assault on his PSF party headquarters. The PSF alleges assassination to prevent Dillo from challenging the incumbent, his own cousin, a claim the government denies.

Despite promises of a civilian transition, General Deby extended the transition period by two years and officially declared his candidacy on March 2. For constitutional expert Ahmat Mahamat Hassan, this move reflects the historical reality in Chad, where power transitions are often marred by violence and elections are viewed as cosmetic maneuvers for legitimacy.

As Masra steps into the presidential race, Chad braces itself for a tumultuous electoral journey, questioning the authenticity of democratic processes in a nation historically marked by political turbulence.