Central Africa elections could make or break long suffering nation
A photo taken on February 11, 2016 shows election posters of incumbent President Yoweri Museveni (right) and Opposition leader Kizza Besigye (left) in Kampala. Museveni is facing his hardest battle to remain President of the East African country, Uganda, in the forth coming presidential elections on February 18, 2016, as polls showing his main rival Kizza Besigye and former Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi gaining increased public support. PHOTO | AFP
What you need to know:
Campaigning for the poll, which will be held alongside legislative elections, ran until midnight on Friday.
The parliamentary polls are being held for the second time after the December 30 vote was cancelled.
In recent years, the chaos in the mineral-rich but poor country culminated in communal violence between Muslims and Christians.
Sunday’s CAR elections are the best opportunity for the salvation of the country in which matters came to a head after the overthrow in March 2013 of François Bozizé.
Uganda leader has been in power for years and though rivals are crying foul, his party holds sway in villages
Former prime ministers Anicet Georges Dologuele and Faustin Archange Touadera, both 58, will battle it out Sunday during the runoff for Central African Republic presidency.
The runoff has been postponed several times despite the results of the December first round being validated by the electoral commission.
Campaigning for the poll, which will be held alongside legislative elections, ran until midnight on Friday. The parliamentary polls are being held for the second time after the December 30 vote was cancelled.
HUGE TURNOUT
The elections attracted a huge turnout, with 1.3 million valid ballots cast in a country of two million voters.
The repeat elections would see more than 1,500 candidates vie for 140 seats in the National Assembly of a country dogged by coups, violence and misrule.
In recent years, the chaos in the mineral-rich but poor country culminated in communal violence between Muslims and Christians, with thousands of people slaughtered.
The prolonged nightmare saw about one in 10 people out of a population of 4.8 million forced from their homes.
A transitional president, Catherine Samba-Panza, has been in charge for the last two years but she is barred from running Sunday. She was elected interim president on January 23, 2014.
Poignantly, the landmark polls are being held as Uganda prepares for a momentous presidential election next Thursday.
President Yoweri Museveni, who is widely expected to win, has not been taking his top challengers for granted.
Former Security Minister Patrick Amama Mbabazi and Dr Kizza Besigye of the Forum for Democratic Change are a part of an opposition that has failed to unite against Museveni.
Although having little chance of victory, the divided opposition has accused Museveni of using tricks to win.
Museveni is accused of unfairly using state funds to campaign.
Ironically, however justified the accusations may be, it is still acknowledged that his National Resistance Movement has overwhelming control of the electoral process.
Sunday’s CAR elections are the best opportunity for the salvation of the country in which matters came to a head after the overthrow in March 2013 of François Bozizé.
Bozizé had ruled the country for about a decade and had himself come to power in a coup. He was replaced by Michel Djotodia who was forced to step aside less than a year later.
Whereas Djotodia has practically vanished, Bozizé still habours hopes of a return to the presidency.
Dologuele won the first round with about 24 per cent of the vote, ahead of Touadera who garnered 19.4 per cent.
