The campaign is in full swing ahead of Sunday’s constitutional referendum. The “yes” camp organized a rally in Sarh, in the south of the country, while Prime Minister Saleh Kebzabo was in Abéché in the East. The “no” caravan, on the other hand, was in Moundou, the country’s second-largest city.
Success Masra continued his extensive southern tour in Kelo. The opposition leader has adjusted his stance during his travels, shifting from a neither-yes-nor-no position to a “yes” to the new constitution, which he describes as the “lesser evil.” This position has been met with mixed reactions.
Success Masra explains that he has evolved through interactions with the populations he meets: putting an end to the transition quickly is the “priority.” Therefore, one must be “consistent” and vote for this text, “though imperfect,” he says, even if it means modifying it “later,” once in power.
As the leader of the Transformers primarily aims for the presidential election and the summit of the state, he does not hide it. Until now, he had tried not to discuss the referendum too much in his meetings.
“We did not like his ambiguous position,” says Jean-Bernard Padaré, campaigning for the “yes.” “You cannot say that you are entering to support the transition and try to overlook the referendum as if nothing were happening,” he adds, pleased to see the opposition forced into a “clarification” that he applauds.
On the side of opponents to the text, reproached him for his “double language,” or even his “duplicity” since his return to the country. Brice Mbaïmon was not surprised but rather “disappointed.” “He backs down at the moment when the issue of the form of the state, which has been talked about for so many years, comes to the table,” explains the coordinator of the “no” campaign.
“He has faced pressures,” says Max Kemkoye. “He has been tied to the government since the Kinshasa agreement,” adds the one calling for a boycott.