Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: CENTRAL African Republic (CAR) President Faustin-Archange Touadéra has won a third term after securing an outright majority in last month’s presidential election, provisional results show.
The 68-year-old mathematics professor was widely expected to win after the main opposition coalition boycotted the poll, citing concerns about electoral fairness. Touadéra campaigned on his security record in the chronically unstable nation after rebels seized power in 2013, a crisis that led the government to enlist support from Russian mercenaries and Rwandan soldiers.
He has faced heavy criticism after a 2023 constitution removed term limits, allowing him to keep running for office. More than 2.4 million people registered for the 28 December general election, which observers described as largely peaceful despite delays caused by the late arrival of voting material and problems with the electoral register.
Touadéra secured 76% of the vote, according to preliminary results announced late on January 5 by the election agency. His closest challengers, Anicet-Georges Dologuélé and Henri-Marie Dondra, both former Prime Ministers, received 15% and 3% of the vote respectively. Both have called for the results to be annulled, alleging widespread irregularities and fraud.