Central African Republic votes in polls marred by violence

Bangui: Voters went to the polls in the Central African Republic in presidential and legislative elections marred by the latest flare-up in a long-running civil war, with many unable to cast their ballots.

Incumbent Faustin Archange Touadera is the frontrunner in polls that follow a week of turbulence marked by accusations of an attempted coup, rebels briefly seizing the fourth-largest town and Russia and Rwanda dispatching military personnel to help the beleaguered government.

UN peacekeepers and local and Rwandan soldiers were patrolling the streets of the capital on Sunday with armoured vehicles posted outside polling stations.

Although some stations opened late in Bangui because of a lack of voting materials, senior election officials told AFP they would stay open later to make up for it.

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“It’s very important for me to be here, as a citizen. I think this vote will change our country, whoever the president will be,” teacher Hortense Reine said.

Sixteen candidates are vying for the presidency, Touadera’s main rival is former prime minister Anicet Georges Dologuele.

Polling stations began to close at 5pm (1600 GMT) with partial results expected on January 4 and the final totals on January 19.

At the end of the day, government spokesman Ange Maxime Kazagui praised “the commitment and determination of the population who defied the armed groups”.

And Momokoama Theophile of the National Elections Authority (ANE) told AFP that turnout had been good “despite minor security concerns in some places”. A runoff will be held on February 14 if there is no overall majority in the first round.

Away from Bangui, sporadic fighting has been going on for nine days and scattered incidents were reported early on Sunday.

In the northwest, more than 500 kilometres (300 miles) from the capital, rebels seized election materials in Koui and officials received death threats in Ngaoundaye, according to a senior UN official. In some areas, rebels threatened anyone who went to vote. The CSSE Strategic Committee for Securing Elections, which is close to the government, listed at least 12 provincial sub-prefectures where voting could not take place. Meanwhile, thousands of people had not received their voter cards because of the dire security situation, according to local and UN officials who all requested anonymity.

“How do we vote when we don’t even have our voter cards,” Robert, from Boali, 80 kilometres north of Bangui, told AFP by phone, explosions audible in the background.

“Everyone is fleeing at the moment. I’m holed up at home.”

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Ahead of the elections many of the 1,500 candidates contesting the 140 seats in the national assembly were unable to campaign.

Former president Francois Bozize, who wanted to stand but was barred by judges because he is under UN sanctions, urged people not to vote and backed a rebel coalition.

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