The Chadian government’s priorities include organizing elections this year in strict compliance with the regulatory blueprints, President Idriss Déby said in N’Djamena on Wednesday.
He said as part of consultations to that effect, the state will release an envelope of CFA30 billion from its own coffers.
Deby told members of the electoral commission that the state’s first disbursements were made to the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) and the Permanent Bureau of Elections, which received CFA900,000,000 and CFA436,640,000 respectively.
“The steps are being taken with our traditional partners to mobilize the potential budget gap for these elections,” he added, noting: “we are only at the stage of pledging contributions, (and) the government does not despair that this gap will be filled in order to help us create in our country the conditions that are in line with the universal principles of universal suffrage, according to democratic rules.”
While inviting the CENI to redouble its efforts, in order to show itself worthy of the trust placed in it, to organise elections as soon as possible, President Déby expressed his conviction that a free, democratic and transparent poll, “which everyone is calling for, can only be the result of the determined action of all the parties involved in the process.”
AHD/cat/lb/as/APA