CAR Heads to the Ballot Box as Incumbent Aims for a Third Mandate
This Sunday, the Central African Republic will conduct a pivotal quadruple election, including the presidency, national assembly, and local positions.
A Crowded Race for the Presidency
A field of seven contenders are competing for the top office, among them ex-premiers Anicet Georges Dologuélé and Henri-Marie Dondra. Both men were given approval to stand by the constitutional court after initial bans. Dologuélé was the runner-up in the last two elections, while Dondra briefly served under the incumbent.
Challengers' Strategy and Public Discontent
The challengers aims to tap into widespread frustration in a nation where conflict remains a daily reality. More than half a million people are internally displaced, with a similar number living as refugees in bordering states.
"This represents an chance to acknowledge the significant progress of the nation," noted a UN regional official, adding that obstacles persist.
Touadéra's Expected Victory
Despite the challenges, President Faustin-Archange Touadéra, a one-time academic, is largely predicted to secure another term. He first entered politics in 2008 when appointed prime minister, holding the post until a insurgent alliance toppled the government in 2013, sparking a sectarian conflict.
After a turbulent three-year interim, his perceived impartiality from the main militias fueled his runoff win in 2016.
Security Concerns and Voting Challenges
Concerns persist that logistical problems and violence could disrupt the vote, particularly in the countryside. The UN stabilization force, Minusca, is providing security and organizational aid that the state's crumbling infrastructure is unable to provide.
Further issues involve the electoral roll being made available only digitally, a major hurdle in a country with scarce online access. These issues have led to an electoral boycott and could, according to observers, "disenfranchise large segments of the population."
Stakes of a Third Term
Many citizens worry that another term for Touadéra—enabled by a 2023 constitutional referendum that scrapped term limits and lengthened mandates—would mean expanded sway for foreign actors.
The president has put faith in the Russian mercenary group Wagner for personal security, and despite its founder's death, has pushed back against calls to fold its fighters into a successor entity. Meanwhile, Rwanda has pursued a separate strategy, focusing on commercial ventures within CAR.
Allegations of Asset Sales
Recent reports have stated the government removed its own soldiers from a World Bank-funded facility to make way for a foreign-run agricultural project. A critical editorial charged the leadership of being "intent on dispose of the country bit by bit."
Despite a newly signed agreement with armed factions offering a glimmer of calm, the vote moves forward under a cloud of uncertainty and geopolitical rivalry.
