The opposition coalition in the Central African Republic announced on Tuesday February 2 that it would withdraw entirely from the legislative elections, denouncing it as a “sham” after the rejection of most of its requests to annul the first round vote.
“Despite numerous irregularities, massive fraud, violence (…) the Constitutional Court, in proclaiming the final results of the first round of the legislative elections, confirmed that they were a sham,” the leaders of the Coalition of Democratic Opposition (COD-2020) denounced in a communiqué, declaring “to withdraw entirely from the calamitous process.
In its communiqué, the COD-2020 “notes with astonishment that no opposition leader was elected in the first round and that only one was retained in the second round” and “reiterates its initial demands, namely the cancellation and resumption of the grouped elections.
‘‘The process is completely flawed and we cannot, through our participation, endorse an electoral cartoon. That is why we thought of withdrawing from this electoral process,” said Nicolas Tiangaye, spokesperson for the COD-2020 coalition.
The Constitutional Court on Monday annulled for irregularities the results of the first round in 13 out of 140 constituencies. Uncertainty remains for 58 others where voting could not take place due to insecurity. On December 27, the day of the presidential and legislative elections, two out of three registered voters were unable to cast their ballots.
Incumbent President Faustin Archange Touadéra was declared reelected with 53.16 percent of the vote, but the opposition strongly contested this result, citing in particular the very low voter turnout of 35.25 percent. The supreme court also validated on Monday the first round election of 22 deputies out of 140, including five from the presidential party.
More than a month after the vote, 118 seats remain to be filled, either in a second round whose date has not yet been set, or after a new ballot with two rounds.