2001 Chadian presidential election explained

Country:Chad
Type:presidential
Previous Election:1996 Chadian presidential election
Previous Year:1996
Election Date:20 May 2001
Next Election:2006 Chadian presidential election
Next Year:2006
Turnout:61.37%
Image1:Idriss Déby at the White House in 2014.jpg
Candidate1:Idriss Déby
Party1:Patriotic Salvation Movement
Popular Vote1:1,533,509
Percentage1:63.17%
Candidate2:Ngarlejy Yorongar
Party2:Federation, Action for the Republic
Popular Vote2:396,864
Percentage2:16.35%
Image4:Saleh Kebzabo 2016.jpg
Candidate4:Saleh Kebzabo
Party4:National Union for Democracy and Renewal
Popular Vote4:169,917
Percentage4:7.00%
Candidate5:Wadel Abdelkader Kamougué
Party5:Union for Renewal and Democracy
Popular Vote5:146,125
Percentage5:6.02%
President
Before Election:Idriss Déby
Before Party:Patriotic Salvation Movement
After Election:Idriss Déby
After Party:Patriotic Salvation Movement

Presidential elections were held in Chad on 20 May 2001. Incumbent President Idriss Déby of the Patriotic Salvation Movement was re-elected with 63% of the vote.

Candidates

Déby stood as a candidate for a second term, and was supported by former opponent, Lol Mahamat Choua, leader of the Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP).

Aftermath

The election results, showing a first-round majority for Déby, were contested by all of the opposition candidates. On 28 May the six opposition candidates were briefly arrested after meeting at the home of one of them, Saleh Kebzabo, and four opposition activists were killed in the action. They were released half-an-hour later.

Two days later, the six candidates and as many as 40 activists were once again arrested as the opposition prepared to lead a funeral procession for one of those killed two days earlier. They were all released after a direct phone call to Déby from the World Bank's President James Wolfensohn.

Déby was sworn in for another term on 8 August.[1]

Notes and References

  1. http://www.chadembassy-usa.org/images/special_tchad.pdf "LE PRÉSIDENT DÉBY VEUT FAIRE PLUS ENCORE"