In Chad, transitional president Mahamat Idriss Déby, son of the late Idriss Déby Itno who ruled the country with an iron fist for more than three decades, will face his prime minister and main rival Succès Masra at the polls on Monday, May 6.

Announced as a foregone conclusion in favor of Mahamat Déby, the ballot appeared more uncertain in the final days of the campaign, as 40-year-old Masra rallied massive support during his tour of the country.

Will the opponent-turned-prime minister take to the streets against the regime if he believes the election to be fraudulent, at the risk of provoking demonstrations like those of October 20, 2022, which were put down in bloodshed? Or is he simply trying to "up the ante" to keep his job? With three days to go to the polls, he welcomed Le Monde to his home in N'Djamena.

Succèss Masra: Change in Chad is not only indispensable but inevitable. We saw the enthusiasm around my candidacy during this campaign. This desire for change must be expressed on a massive scale.

If there is an escalation, it does not come from us. We have conducted a peaceful campaign, argument against argument, project against project. Unfortunately, some offices of our party Les Transformateurs have been burned down and activists have been arrested. Our opponents are attempting to exert pressure because there is a very strong popular mobilization in our favor.

I am a man of foresight. Confidence in our institutions does not mean we can't control them. According to the law, every citizen has the right to be present at the vote count, which is the best way to avoid any suspicion of a lack of transparency.

My appointment as head of government is one of the elements that gives credibility to the electoral process. If I hadn't been there, things would have been worse.

We are committed to the truth of the ballot box. Our only boss, if you'll pardon the expression, is the Chadian people. No one has the right to disguise their will. Not the Angel, not the government, not the army, not anyone. Chadians know that none of the past elections were credible. That's all over and done with.

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