CAR Prepares for the Polls as President Pursues a Third Mandate

On Sunday, the nation of CAR will conduct a pivotal quadruple election, including the presidency, parliament, and municipal offices.

A Competitive Presidential Field

Seven candidates are competing for the top office, including former prime ministers Anicet Georges Dologuélé and Henri-Marie Dondra. Both men were given approval to stand by the constitutional court after being initially barred. Dologuélé finished second in the 2015 and 2020 votes, while Dondra had a short tenure under the current president.

Challengers' Strategy and Voter Frustrations

The opposition aims to capitalize on widespread frustration in a nation where conflict remains a constant threat. Over half a million people are internally displaced, with a comparable figure living as exiles in bordering states.

"This is an opportunity to commend the significant progress of the nation," said a UN regional official, though he added that obstacles remain.

Touadéra's Expected Victory

Despite the competition, President Faustin-Archange Touadéra, a former mathematics professor, is widely expected to secure another term. He transitioned into politics in 2008 when named prime minister, holding the post until a rebel coalition overthrew the government in 2013, triggering a civil war.

After a turbulent transition period, his reputation for neutrality from the main militias fueled his second-round victory in 2016.

Security Concerns and Voting Challenges

Concerns persist that logistical problems and violence could disrupt the electoral process, especially in the countryside. The UN stabilization force, Minusca, is offering protection and logistical support that the country's weak systems is unable to provide.

Additional problems include the voter list being made available only digitally, a major hurdle in a nation with limited internet access. These irregularities have prompted an opposition boycott and could, as noted by analysts, "exclude many of the population."

Implications of Extended Rule

Many residents worry that another term for Touadéra—made possible by a 2023 charter change that scrapped term limits and extended mandates—would mean greater influence for foreign actors.

The president has relied on the private military group Wagner for personal security, and even after its founder's death, has resisted calls to integrate its fighters into a successor entity. In contrast, Rwanda has taken a different approach, focusing on commercial interests within CAR.

Allegations of Asset Sales

Allegations have stated the government evicted its own soldiers from a internationally financed training centre to make way for a Rwandan livestock operation. A critical editorial charged the leadership of being "intent on dispose of the nation piece by piece."

Amid a recent peace accord with rebel groups offering a glimmer of calm, the vote proceeds under a shadow of doubt and external rivalry.