Publication  Posté le 09:11 06-06-2024, modifié le 09:11 06-06-2024 par Tournons La Page

06/06/2024 - On May 6, 2024, more than 8 million Chadian men and women were called to the polls for the first round of the presidential election. This report, entitled “Shots of joy” and democracy in tears, highlights, through specific examples, the numerous political violence and irregularities that tainted the electoral process. These incidents were documented by Tournons La Page Chad (TLP-Chad) during their impartial and independent observation of the presidential election, carried out to verify that the process was democratic, genuine and representative of the will of the Chadian people. The report highlights serious problems, including the deaths of several dozen people, including one candidate, the exclusion of several candidates, problems updating the electoral roll, low participation by women, the impossibility of accessing results by polling station, and a severe deterioration in freedom of expression and of the press.

We invite all members of civil society and Chad's international partners to consult this report for an in-depth understanding of the electoral stakes in Chad and the challenges to be overcome to strengthen democracy in the country.

Download the report here

Explanation of the title: the dark reality behind the “shots of joy”.

On May 9, 2024, gunshots echoed through the capital and along the city's main thoroughfares as the victory of candidate Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno was announced. Officially described as a “shots of joy” by the Chadian authorities, these gunshots conceal a darker reality. At least 10 people were killed and many others wounded. This sugar-coated expression masks the underlying brutality and violence of a regime that uses force to maintain control and suppress all dissent, leading to the inevitable collapse of civic space and democratic institutions in the country.

Our methodology

TLP-Chad has committed itself to contribute to verify impartially and independently that the presidential electoral process is democratic and genuine, and that it represents the will of the Chadian people. TLP-Tchad observers have signed a code of conduct inspired by the Declaration of principles for international observation, a reference document dating from 2005. After receiving training and being deployed across the country in 5 provinces (Guéra, Logone Oriental, Moyen-Chari, Ouaddaï and Ville de N'Djamena, representing 36% of the official electorate), they collected statements and images of the electoral process, as well as information and testimonies from civil society, witnesses and political players. Information was cross-checked. This report assesses the electoral process in terms of transparency, credibility and freedom, drawing on reports by the European Union, the African Union and civil society organizations specializing in election observation and monitoring of electoral processes.

Our recommendations

TLP-Chad proposes several recommendations in this report, the main ones being as follows:

To the Chadian authorities

• Make polling station results public, so that all citizens can check the results in accordance with international best practices;
• Review the electoral registry, tidy it up and carry out a new census;
• Ensure that the electoral register is easily accessible and reliable.

To Chad's international partners :

• Do not recognize the results without the publication of results by polling station and an independent countercheck.

Download the report here