Central African Republic (CAR) President Faustin-Archange Touadera on Thursday formally submitted his candidacy for the upcoming elections, which he is widely expected to win.
The secretary-general of Touadera’s ruling United Hearts Movement delivered his candidacy documents to the National Election Authority (ANE) headquarters in Bangui, according to AFP.
Speaking to journalists, Touadera said, “The people wanted clear reassurance that my candidacy would be filed today. We have met a constitutional obligation within the democratic framework of our nation.”
Presidential, parliamentary, regional, and local elections are scheduled for 28 December, with the deadline for candidate submissions set for 11 October.
Since gaining independence from France in 1960, the Central African Republic has endured repeated conflicts. Although violence has eased in recent years, security remains fragile, particularly along major transport routes and in the eastern regions bordering Sudan and South Sudan.
Touadera, first elected in 2016, is now pursuing a third term. Critics accuse him of seeking to extend his rule indefinitely, but a new constitution approved in a 2023 referendum permits him to run again.