Chad goes to polls as President Deby seeks sixth term

Election kicks off amid mounting popular discontent and opposition criticism against incumbent Deby.

Polling stations have opened in Chad for a presidential election in which incumbent Idriss Deby is widely expected to extend his 30-year rule despite growing signs of popular discontent and criticism over his handling of oil wealth. A key ally in the West’s campaign against armed groups in the Sahel region, Deby, 68, came to power spearheading the rebellion that overthrew longtime military ruler Hissene Habre in 1990. He won elections in 1996 and again in 2001 before pushing through a constitutional change in 2018 that could allow him to stay in power until 2033.