Succes Masra (center) gestures as he arrives for a meeting of the Chadian political party Les Transformateurs in N’Djamena on March 10, 2024. (PHOTO / AFP)

YAOUNDE - Chad's Prime Minister Succes Masra has announced his candidacy for the May 6 presidential election in the central African nation.

"I am a candidate to serve, mend hearts, gather talents and reconcile the people," Masra said Sunday during a rally of The Transformers opposition in N'Djamena, the capital city.

Masra will face transitional president Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno, who has already submitted his candidacy to run under the banner of the newly-formed For a United Chad coalition

His program will focus on education, justice, security, diplomacy and the economy, he said.

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Masra, a former opposition leader, joined the government following his return to Chad in November, after spending more than a year in exile.

He will face transitional president Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno, who has already submitted his candidacy to run under the banner of the newly-formed For a United Chad coalition.

Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno, 39, assumed power following his father's death in an attack in 2021.

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The first round of the presidential election is scheduled for May 6, with a possible second round on June 22.