Chad election finely balanced

Preliminary results from last Sunday's presidential election in Chad show that with nearly 90% of the votes counted, President Idriss Deby and his main challenger, Ngarledjy Yorongar, are running close, and well ahead of all the other candidates.

Chadian electoral officials said the remaining votes to be counted were from seven departments in the north, a presidential stronghold, and two in the more heavily populated south, where Mr Yorongar has polled well.

Full provisional results are due to be announced tomorrow Sunday in the capital, Ndjamena, when it will become clear whether there'll need to be a second round of voting.

The six opposition candidates have said the result will be tarnished by what they claimed was massive fraud, and they have threatened to call for an annulment.

Foreign observers said the vote appeared fair.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service