This article is from the source 'washpo' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/africa/central-african-republic-to-go-ahead-with-elections-sunday/2016/02/10/18bc9564-d010-11e5-90d3-34c2c42653ac_story.html
The article has changed 2 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
Previous version
1
Next version
Version 0 | Version 1 |
---|---|
Central African Republic to go ahead with elections Sunday | Central African Republic to go ahead with elections Sunday |
(35 minutes later) | |
BANGUI, Central African Republic — Central African Republic’s long awaited presidential runoff vote will go forward Sunday alongside a second attempt at credible legislative elections, election authorities said as the two top candidates campaigned outside the capital Wednesday. | |
The nation recovering from several years of intense communal violence between Muslims and Christians must now choose between two former prime ministers — both Christians. The presidential runoff vote has been delayed several times already, raising concerns about whether Sunday’s polls would go forward. | |
Commission President Marie-Madéleine N’Kouet Hoornaert confirmed the voting will be held as scheduled. | |
The constitutional court annulled the results from the legislative elections held in late December, citing widespread irregularities, but the presidential results of the first round were validated. | |
Voting materials are being distributed throughout the impoverished country where some roads have not been repaved since independence from France in 1960. | |
More than 1,500 candidates are running for 140 seats in the National Assembly. | |
In the initial presidential race, former prime minister Anicet Georges Dologuele took about 24 percent of the vote, while another ex-prime minister, Faustin Archange Touadera, got 19 percent. Campaigning runs until midnight Friday. | |
Central African Republic has suffered through dictatorship and coups in recent decades. The president of a decade — who had come to power through a coup — was overthrown in March 2013, to be replaced by a Muslim rebel leader who was forced to step aside less than a year later. A transitional president has been in charge for the last two years and she is barred from running in the presidential vote. | |
Nearly 1 million people have been forced from their homes by the violence, some displaced within the country while others have fled to neighboring Cameroon and Chad. | |
___ | |
Associated Press writer Fleury Koursany contributed to this report. | |
Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. | Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. |
Previous version
1
Next version