Polls have closed in Chad’s first parliamentary election in 13 years.
The voting ended at 6:00pm local time on Sunday. Provisional results are expected by January 15 and final results by January 31.
The main opposition boycotted Sunday’s vote after accusing authorities of not overseeing a credible electoral process.
The oil-exporting country of 18 million people, among Africa’s poorest, had not had a free and fair transfer of power since it became independent from France in 1960.
At least 8 million voters are registered to elect 188 legislators in the new National Assembly.
Sunday’s election comes at a critical time for Chad, which is battling several security challenges from Boko Haram and the break in decades long military ties with France, its key ally.
