This Friday, December 25 is the last day of the campaign for the legislative and presidential elections on Sunday in the Central African Republic, against a backdrop of uncertainty and tension. On Thursday, six opposition candidates filed a petition with the Constitutional Court to request the “resumption of elections”, following Tuesday’s decision by Jean-Serge Bokassa to withdraw his candidacy.
There are six of them: Anicet Georges Dologuélé, Nicolas Tiangaye, Karim Meckassoua, Désiré Kolingba, Mahamat Kamoun and Cyriaque Gonda. All believe that the decision of Jean-Serge Bokassa to withdraw from the presidential race should automatically lead to “the resumption of voting” under Article 115 of the Electoral Code.
It provides that in the event of the “withdrawal of one of the candidates between the publication of the list of candidates and the first day of the election”, the organisation of the election is “fully resumed, with a new list of candidates”. Once again in this process, Danielle Darlan, the President of the Constitutional Court, will therefore have to decide on a delicate issue with important political consequences.
Over the past week, calls for a technical postponement of the vote have been multiplying because of the violence in the country and its consequences on the preparations for the vote. Thursday, a few minutes before the end of her mandate, the outgoing president of the ANE (National Elections Authority), issued a statement to ensure that the vote was prepared “in very good conditions”.
A statement deemed “surprisingly optimistic” by some observers, but in line with the position of the authorities who continue to beat the campaign. Since then, the new office of ANE has been designated. According to our information, exchanges have already begun between the Constitutional Court and the new team.