Chad's military ruler wins presidential election

ALGIERS, May 10 (KUNA) -- Chad's election committee on Friday declared the military ruler Mahamat Deby as the winner of the country's presidential elections held on Monday.
General Deby won 61.3 percent of the vote, while his closest rival, Prime Minister Succes Masra, won 18.53 percent, the committee announced in initial vote results.
The vote watchdog is expected to announce the final results on May 21 once election challenges are over.
Masra had earlier declared that he had won the race in the first round of voting, and that victory had been stolen "from the people".
Prime Minister Masra claimed victory in a live broadcast on Facebook, and called on his supporters and security forces to oppose what he said was an attempt by General Deby to "steal the victory from the people".
Deby, 40, was installed as Chad's leader by the military after his father, Idriss Deby Itno, was killed in April 2021. (end) mr.mt