United Nations chief Antonio Guterres on Friday called on Chad to "respect civil and political rights, including the rights to freedom of assembly and expression," as the country prepares for presidential elections this weekend. Guterres said in a statement that he hoped all parties involved in the process would "work towards a peaceful and credible electoral process." The secretary-general "urges all stakeholders to resolve any disputes that may arise from the electoral process through dialogue and legal channels," the UN statement said. Sunday's elections appear set to hand the country's 30-year leader Idriss Deby Itno a sixth term after his most prominent rivals were sidelined. prh/led/jh/ft