Chad President Idriss Deby Itno has said his country was no where near plunging into election-related violence, despite tensions that preceded Sunday's presidential elections.

Having been in power for 26 years, Deby is seeking his fifth consecutive five-year term against 12 opposition challengers.

"We have had our moments of chaos, there will no longer be disorder and no Chadian is prepared to take us back. We have made a lot of progress and we shall continue moving forward," the president said after casting his vote on Sunday morning in a N'Djamena suburb.

Sunday's elections were held within an environment characterized by social unrest following a call by a civil society group for civil disobedience and two simultaneous strikes in the key sectors of health and education.

The president noted that "elections should never be a source of crisis, division or tearing up the nation."

Elsewhere, Chad's opposition warned that there could be chaos in the country should Deby win the presidential elections in the first round.

Speaking from his hometown of Mandoul near the border with Central African Republic, former prime minister and currently one of the leading opposition candidates, Djimrangar Dadnadji, said that "Deby plans to win by all means. His results have already been determined. Before the election he had a score of 60 percent, but it has come down to 54 percent."

As for Wardougou Djimi, a former soldier who joined the opposition after being sacked from the army, "there are two options."

"If Deby wins in the first round, there will be chaos. In the second round he has no chance. We shall all support his opponent," Djimi said.

On Sunday, the opposition raised allegations of vote rigging, especially through ballot stuffing and creation of fictitious polling stations, besides intimidation of voters.

Source: XINHUA