CAR Opposition to Boycott December Elections

CAR Opposition to Boycott December Elections CAR Opposition to Boycott December Elections
President Faustin-Archange Touadéra. Credit: Heritage Times

The opposition in the Central African Republic announced on Wednesday that it will boycott the December elections, in which President Faustin-Archange Touadéra is seeking a third term. The decision, confirmed to AFP, marks another escalation in the political tensions surrounding the country’s upcoming polls.

The Republican Bloc for the Defence of the Constitution (BRDC), an alliance of opposition groups, has repeatedly condemned the electoral process, arguing that it lacks transparency and fairness. The bloc had also opposed last year’s constitutional referendum, which introduced provisions allowing Touadéra to run again, extending his grip on power.

Voters are scheduled to head to the polls on 28 December to elect the president, members of parliament, and representatives in regional and local councils. Touadéra officially submitted his candidacy last week, just before the 11 October deadline.

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CAR Opposition to Boycott December Elections
CAR Opposition to Boycott December Elections. Credit: Al Jazeera

“The BRDC will not reverse its decision to boycott the December elections. We will not participate,” declared the coalition’s coordinator, Crespin Mboli Goumba, emphasising that several appeals for dialogue with the president had gone unanswered.

Although Touadéra initially expressed willingness to engage in talks earlier this year, his stance hardened during his party’s congress in July. A preliminary meeting took place in early September, but no further discussions have been scheduled since then, according to opposition leaders.

Since gaining independence from France in 1960, the Central African Republic has endured decades of political instability and armed conflict. While violence has declined in recent years, insecurity persists—particularly along major roads and in the eastern regions bordering Sudan and South Sudan—raising further concerns about the feasibility and fairness of December’s elections.

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  • Abdullahi Jimoh

    Abdullahi Jimoh is a multimedia journalist and digital content creator with over a decade's experience in writing, communications, and marketing across Africa and the UK.

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