Constitutional judges in the Central African Republic have ruled out attempts to disqualify former prime ministers Henri-Marie Dondra and Anicet-Georges Dologuélé, who were under investigation over allegations related to dual nationality. This allowed them to participate as rivals of President Faustin-Archange Touadéra in the parliamentary elections that will take place this Sunday, quotes Europa Press. In addition to the presidential election, the election panorama also includes parliamentary, regional and municipal votes.
According to Europa Press, Touadéra, in power since 2016, is seeking his third term in office after constitutional reform was made possible by the 2023 referendum, which won 95% of the vote “yes”. This reform, adopted despite the opposition’s boycott, eliminated presidential term limits, extended the presidential term to seven years, abolished the Senate and introduced new restrictions, such as banning citizens with dual nationality from seeking the office of head of state. As Europa Press explained, the president had already attempted a similar change in 2020, but the process was stopped following the rejection of the then President of the Constitutional Court, Daniéle Darlan.
Political tensions are escalating due to the climate of distrust in the transparency and validity of elections. Human Rights Watch (HRW) raises concerns about possible irregularities, political interference and security problems. The NGO also warns of shortcomings in the preparation of the National Electoral Authority, with logistical deficiencies, incomplete censuses and a lack of adequate training of electoral staff, particularly outside the capital Bangui. In addition, Europa Press highlights the challenges related to insecurity and limited transport infrastructure in rural areas, which could further complicate the organization and participation in the votes.
The current political context is one of international influence and complaints about Touadéra’s ties to Russia, including mercenary operations by the former Wagner Group in support of the Central African Army against various armed groups. Although the opposition, according to Europa Press, attributes the president’s authoritarian tendencies, agreements with various rebel factions have strengthened his position. Touadéra, together with his cabinet, signed a peace agreement with fourteen armed groups in 2019; However, several disbanded in 2020 and launched an offensive against Bangui in 2021 as part of the Patriots for Change Coalition (CPC), led by former President François Bozizé, whose candidacy for the 2020 presidential election had been rejected and who then publicly assumed leadership of the rebels.
The power struggle between the government and the rebel forces continues. Pro-government forces managed to stop the CCP’s advance, allowing Touadéra to consolidate his control over the country. Europa Press reports that in recent months the Bangui government has reached new agreements with the main rebel groups UPC and 3R, which officially announced their dissolution in July, and subsequently did the same with the MPC in November. These measures contribute to the expectation that the electoral process will be less affected by violent episodes than in previous cycles.
In addition to Touadéra, there are six candidates on the list of presidential candidates. The outstanding ones are Dologuélé, who has already taken part in the 2015 and 2020 elections and had 21.5% of the vote in the most recent election campaign, in addition to the fraud allegations at the time, and Dondra, who was finance minister and prime minister between 2021 and 2022. According to Europa Press, Dologuélé currently lacks the support of the Republican Bloc for the Defense of the Constitution (BRDC). the strong arm of the opposition, which has decided to boycott these elections.
Dondra, who has experience in international organizations and returned to Bangui in 2016, lost the prime ministership after disputes within the government amid divisions between pro-French and pro-Russian sectors and is now positioning himself as an opponent. Rounding out the list are Aristide Briand Reboas, former head of the secret service and former minister of youth and sports; Serge Ghislain Djorie, doctor and former communications director under Touadéra; Marcelin Yalemende, Protestant pastor; and Eddy Symphorien Kparekouti, participant in the drafting of the 2023 Constitution.
This Sunday’s elections take on a special character as they include local elections that have not taken place since 1988. According to Europa Press, this incorporation is in line with the agreements in the 2019 peace agreement and, as UN Secretary-General António Guterres noted, represents “a historic milestone in the peace process and an important step towards consolidating the decentralization of state power.” Guterres called for a “peaceful, orderly, inclusive and credible” conduct of the electoral event and called on political actors to refrain from actions that could trigger violence or undermine the legitimacy of the vote.
Europa Press reports that behind the scenes, the Central African Republic is facing an ongoing humanitarian crisis, exacerbated by the consequences of armed conflict, fragile public services and the effects of climate change. Figures from the organization suggest that more than two million people need humanitarian assistance and almost a million are displaced. The World Bank is quoted by Europa Press as pointing out that despite natural resources such as oil, gold, diamonds and agricultural potential, the country remains one of the poorest and most fragile in the world.
The indicators reflect structural uncertainty: in 2022, the Central African Republic ranked 191 out of 193 countries in the human capital index, life expectancy is around 57 years (2023) and only 15.7% of the population has access to electricity (2022), out of a population estimated at 5.5 million inhabitants, of which almost 2.4 million are registered in the census. Choice.
Lewis Mudge, HRW director for the Central African Republic, said, according to Europa Press, that “the elections will determine the country’s political development in the coming years” and stressed that despite progress in pacification, “obstruction of opposition participation, administrative dysfunction and fears of a return to repression can result in large parts of the population being deprived of their rights.” He stressed that a legitimate vote can only take place if the concerns raised are taken into account, adding: “The country’s path to stability depends on inclusive and competitive political processes that reflect the will of all communities, not just those with access to power.”
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