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Central African Republic Set for Vote as Touadera Seeks Third Term

The ballot follows a 2023 charter overhaul that removed term limits, fueling boycott calls from parts of the opposition.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Central African Republic's President Faustin-Archange Touadera shake hands as they meet in Moscow, Russia January 16, 2025. REUTERS/Evgenia Novozhenina/Pool/File Photo
Central African Republic's President Faustin-Archange Touadera arrives before a dinner with several heads of state and government and leaders of international organisations at the Elysee Palace, as part of the 19th Francophonie Summit, in Paris, France, October 4, 2024. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier/File Photo
While Faustin-Archange Touadera styles himself as the stability candidate, critics accuse him of wanting to remain president for life
Touadera is accused of wishing to cling on by running for a third term -- made possible by a 2023 constitutional change

Overview

  • Polling stations are scheduled to open at 05:00 GMT and close at 17:00 GMT on December 28, with provisional results due January 5.
  • The electoral authority expects about 2.3 million voters, including roughly 749,000 newly registered participants.
  • Seven candidates are on the presidential ballot, with Anicet-Georges Dologuele and former prime minister Henri-Marie Dondra viewed as the leading challengers despite boycott calls from parts of the opposition.
  • Urban security has improved but rural violence persists as UN peacekeepers, Rwandan troops and an estimated 2,000 Wagner mercenaries remain in the country, and recent peace deals are expected to help keep voting calmer than in 2020.
  • Analysts still rate Touadera the favorite, citing state resource advantages and civil servants campaigning for him, while Dologuele has contested pressure after his passport was revoked in October and a complaint was filed with the UN human rights office.