Opposition parties in the Central African Republic (CAR) have announced a boycott of the upcoming elections scheduled for December 28, in which President Faustin-Archange Touadéra is seeking a controversial third term.
The Republican Bloc for the Defence of the Constitution (BRDC), an opposition coalition, told AFP on Wednesday that it has no confidence in the electoral process.
The group had earlier rejected the 2023 constitutional referendum that allowed Touadéra to extend his rule beyond the previous two-term limit. The elections will include presidential, parliamentary, regional, and local contests.
BRDC coordinator Crespin Mboli Goumba confirmed that the coalition would not reverse its decision, citing the government’s failure to ensure credible and inclusive polls. President Touadéra officially filed his candidacy last week before the October 11 deadline. Although he had initially shown openness to political dialogue earlier in the year, talks have since stalled after an initial meeting in early September, with no new dates set by the government. The opposition insists that without genuine dialogue and transparency, participation would only legitimise what it describes as an unfair electoral process.