Republic votes Wednesday in
presidential polls, in which all
leading candidates have vowed to
reunite a nation torn and terrified by
unprecedented sectarian strife. Postponed several times due to
violence and logistical problems, the
first round of the polls was again
delayed by three days from Sunday,
partly because of reports of clashes
in regions where armed gangs still hold sway. The vote, which also includes
legislative polls, follows a
referendum on constitutional change
that was backed by a resounding 93
percent of voters, widely seen as
showing how much people long for peace and a return to normal life. Three men are tipped as front-
runners in a race with 30
candidates. All are experienced
politicians who held high-profile
posts in previous governments and
one comes from the small Muslim minority population. Also Read:Central Africans dream of bread and peace after
election The violence in the mineral-rich but
dirt poor country followed the ouster
in March 2013 of president Francois
Bozize by a mainly Islamic rebel
alliance, the Seleka, which installed
Michel Djotodia, the first Muslim head of state of a mostly Christian
country. Djotodia quit in January 2014 after
disbanding the Seleka, but attacks
on Christians by rogue Muslim
forces led to brutal reprisals against
Muslim districts by "anti-
balaka" ("anti-machete") militias from Christian communities. Thousands were slaughtered in a
spiral of atrocities that drove about
one in 10 of the population of 4.8
million to flee the country. Christians and Muslims alike came
forward massively to ensure their
names were on the electoral roll and
to collect their voters' cards, often
saying they never again wanted to
hear gunfire or other manifestations of violence. Top electoral officials also urged a
three-day delay because voting
materials were not reaching isolated
areas and some voters' cards had
yet to be printed and handed out,
while polling station staff needed last-minute training. Cash and T-shirts While 30 candidates vie to become
president, at least 1,800 people want
a place in the 105-seat National
Assembly, but by the weekend, the
National Elections Authority (ANE)
had not cleared a valid final roster for the parliament poll. Two of the three men far ahead of
the crowd in the presidential race
were prime ministers under the late
president Ange-Felix Patasse:
Anicet Georges Dologuele and
Martin Ziguele, who are both Christian. The third, Abdoul Karim
Meckassoua, is a Muslim with a
serious chance in the race and a
good business reputation. He served
Bozize from 2003-13 in succesive
posts, including as foreign minister. Up to the end of campaigning late
Monday, candidates were handing
out cash and T-shirts in Bangui and
in remote provinces for those who
could afford to use aircraft instead
of ruinous roads. The three previous presidents are
barred from standing again.
Catherine Samba Panza has
overseen a political transition while
the country has licked deep sores
and benefitted from a blood transfusion by donor nations, France
in the lead. Also Read: South Africa donates computers, vehicles to
CAR Bozize and Djotodia are both in exile
and both face UN and US sanctions
stemming from violence. The latter
stepped down under strong foreign
pressure after failing to rein in
forces that led to fears of genocide along religious fault-lines. CAR's own security forces - the
army, the police and the paramilitary
gendarmerie -- have begun to patrol
areas where tension remains high
between ex-Seleka and anti-balaka
forces. These national troops are also going
into the flashpoint PK-5 Muslim
enclave in Bangui, where Islamic
extremists killed five people for
wanting to vote on referendum day. France's Operation Sangaris has
deployed troops in Bossangoa,
Bozize's former stronghold in the
west, and at Kaga Bandoro, a
strategic town where ex-Seleka
forces remain strong. The outcome of the referendum was
announced eight days after the vote,
but given the large number of
candidates and the parliamentary
poll, the National Elections Authority
is likely to take a while to release results. Observers anticipate that a second
round will prove necessary and
expect it to be held by the end of
January.
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