Central African Republic's Touadera wins third presidential term

"Voter turnout was 52.42 percent. Touadera, a 68-year-old mathematician who took power a decade ago, was seeking a third term after a constitutional referendum in 2023 scrapped the presidential term limit. He campaigned on his security record in the chronically unstable nation after enlisting help from Russian mercenaries and Rwandan soldiers. He also signed peace deals with several rebel groups this year."

"The main opposition coalition, known by its French acronym BRDC, boycotted the election, saying it would not be fair. Even before the results were announced, Dologuele and Dondra had cast doubt on their credibility, calling separate news conferences to denounce what they described as election fraud. Dologuele, the runner-up in the 2020 election, told a news conference on Friday that there had been a methodical attempt to manipulate the outcome. The Central African people spoke on December 28, Dologuele said."

Faustin-Archange Touadera won a third presidential term with 76.15% of the vote in the December 28 election, with voter turnout at 52.42%. Former prime ministers Anicet-Georges Dologuele and Henri-Marie Dondra received 14.66% and 3.19% respectively. Touadera, a 68-year-old mathematician who came to power a decade ago, sought a third term after a 2023 constitutional referendum removed the presidential term limit. He campaigned on his security record after enlisting Russian mercenaries and Rwandan soldiers and signed peace deals with several rebel groups. The main opposition coalition BRDC boycotted the vote and leading challengers alleged systematic fraud. The Constitutional Court has until January 20 to adjudicate challenges and declare final results.

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