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Tuesday, December 29, 2015

2015 Central African Republic General Election Wednesday Jan 30,2015

Background to the Election

Since 1960 CAR has endured five coups and years of instability
 
CAR is after all surrounded by South Sudan, Sudan, Chad, Cameroon, Congo and the DR Congo, zones currently embroiled in one conflict or another. Resolving CAR is about consolidating peace and democracy on the continent


 

When the Muslim-led Seleka rebels marched into the capital Bangui and ousted President Francois Bozize in March 2013, it ushered in one of the darkest periods in recent Central African Republic history

A political struggle quickly mutated into a communal tussle between the Muslim and Christian communities, as rival militia and vigilante groups unleashed a spate of violence upon one another

Thousands were massacred and many more wounded and scarred as more than 20 % of the population found themselves displaced, hiding from rival gangs in the dense forests across the country or beyond its borders

In January 2014, a transitional government was propped up with the purpose of bringing some order in the wake of mass political upheaval

The political landscape of the conflict-torn Central African Republic (CAR) took a potential step toward stability in January 2014 following the resignation of president and Muslim military leader Michel Djotodia and the election of interim president Catherine Samba-Panza. Samba-Panza has no affiliation to any of the rebel groups involved in the conflict

Political instability, violence, religious cleansing, and the massive internal displacement of more than one million people in the ongoing conflict between the largely Muslim Séléka forces responsible for the 2013 coup and Christian militias known as anti-Balaka, who include supporters of ousted president François Bozizé, continued to worsen the country’s humanitarian crisis. 

In February 2014, UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon launched the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Central African Republic (MINUSCA), authorizing more than 11,000 UN troops to join the African-led peacekeeping forces already stationed in CAR since 2013

In July 2014, Séléka and anti-Balaka signed a cease-fire agreement, but implementation of the accord proved short-lived. Séléka military chief Joseph Zoundeiko ignored the cease-fire and called for a partition of the country along religious lines.

In September 2014, the International Criminal Court (ICC) opened a probe into the CAR conflict, citing widespread incidences of rape, murder, forced displacement, persecution, and pillaging since 2012

The National Transitional Council (CNT) elected Catherine Samba-Panza as interim president on January 23, 2014. She beat her opponent, Désiré Kolingba, in a second round of voting with 75 votes to his 53. She appointed André Nzapayeké as her prime minister. In August, Nzapayeké resigned in the wake of the broken cease-fire deal. Mahamat Kamoun was appointed as the country’s first Muslim prime minister, though he lacked Séléka’s support


After repeated delays and postponements, on Wednesday Dec 30,2015 citizens of the country take to the polls for parliamentary and presidential elections in a bid to turn the country's fortunes around.

Since the formation of the transitional government in January 2014, it is mostly the capital Bangui that has been made secure.

The rest of the country has been mostly left to the mercy of militia; at one point 80 percent was held by armed groups.

Understandably, the remote areas have been difficult to patrol and it's still not clear how safe rural areas will be for voters.

While 2.1 million people are on the voters' roll, little more than 38 percent cast ballots on December 13-14 for the new constitution

Moreover, out of the 460,000 refugees - mostly Muslim - living beyond the country's borders, only 26 percent have been able to register

The UN Mission to CAR already has 11,000 peacekeepers, a further 300 were deployed from the UN Mission in Ivory Coast to assist.

The African Union(AU) has sent 40 observers to the country


Presidential Election - Candidates

Thirty candidates are vying for the post of president. Both former President Francois Bozize and Michel Djotodia, who toppled him in March 2013, have been banned from participating. As a result of their omission, the ensuing political alliances have left this election a wide-open contest. If there is no outright winner, a second round will take place in late January 2016

Some of the frontrunners include: Anicet Georges "Mr Clean" Dologuele, a 58-year-old who headed the Development Bank of Central African States between 2001-2010. He set up the Central African Union for Renewal Party. Dologule was also a former prime minister of CAR during 1998-2001

Abdoul Karim Meckassoua, is a 62-year-old Muslim leader who served under Bozize. Though still considered an ally of the former president, he is running as an independent candidate

Martin "Iron man" Ziguele, is another 58-year-old who also served as a prime minister in CAR between 2001-3. Ziguele was a firm opponent of former President Bozize and is currently the leader of Movement for the Liberation of the Central African People (MLPC).

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