Voting in a constitutional referendum in Chad ended on Sunday evening as the vote-counting process started immediately.
The national commission responsible for the referendum (Conorec) said voting went on smoothly and peacefully around the country.
Polling stations opened at 6:00 a.m. local time (0500 GMT) with long queues in most polling stations where voters were deciding the form of state of the Central African nation.
Chadian transitional President Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno expressed satisfaction and hope after casting his vote at Djambal Ngato polling station in the capital, N’Djamena.
“It is a historic day, full of hope for our country. A big step towards the orderly return to constitutional order,” Deby told reporters after voting.
“This vote is not only a personal gesture, but a strong symbol for our democracy and the future of Chad.
Each ballot cast in the box is one more step towards the stability and prosperity of our nation,” he added.
More than 8 million Chadians were expected to cast their ballots in 22,726 polling stations, according to Conorec.
According to Conorec, provisional results will be announced on Dec. 24 before being submitted to the Supreme Court, which will declare definitive results on Dec. 28.
The referendum on a new constitution is due to set the stage for elections next year and a return to civilian rule, according to officials.
The political and military situation in Chad has deteriorated since 2021 following the death of former President Idriss Deby Itno. His son, Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno, has led a transitional military council to govern the country ever since.