APA-Bangui (Central African Republic) – The Central African Republic, a country plagued by violence and poverty, has been led by President Faustin-Archange Touadéra since 2016.
The draft bill relative to electoral law was approved during a national validation workshop held in Bangui, the capital, from November 2 to 4.
The meeting was initiated by the Ministry of Territorial Administration, Decentralization and Local Development with the support of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) through its electoral support unit.
Addressing representatives of civil society, political parties, the defense and security forces and the National Electoral Authority (ANE), Bruno Yapandet, the Central African Minister in charge of Territorial Administration, said that it was necessary to entrust the participants with the task of “making the relevant changes that will undoubtedly enrich the draft text that (they) will validate in complete independence at the end of the three days of work.”
The objective of the exercise was “to harmonize the provisions of the Electoral Code with the Constitution of the Central African Republic,” as recalled by the ANE’s general rapporteur, Théophile Momokoama, in a Monusco press release received by APA on Friday.
“The preliminary draft electoral code is based on the constitution of August 30, 2023 and takes into account the concerns expressed by the population, including the promotion of youth, the inclusion of the gender dimension in the appointment of representatives of the people and the inclusion of vulnerable persons, all of which are likely to reduce inequalities and promote the integrated and integral development of the Central African nation,” he explained.
For his part, Arsène Gbaguidi, head of the electoral support division at MINUSCA, said that the mission was supporting this phase of the electoral process as part of its mandate, as well as “the organisation of credible, transparent, inclusive and peaceful local elections in 2024” in the CAR. “It is well known that preparations for local elections provide an opportunity for the Government to resume political consultations with the opposition and the Central African people with a view to holding credible, transparent, inclusive and peaceful local and regional elections, which are a guarantee of local governance and grassroots development,” he said.
He reiterated the UN’s readiness to work closely with all stakeholders “to finalize a consensual and inclusive electoral legal framework within a reasonable timeframe.”
Chantal Solange Touabena, Deputy Coordinator of the African Women’s Leadership Network (AWLN), welcomed the quality of the discussions on the draft law.
A workshop to review the draft bill relative to electoral law was held in Boali from October 16 to 18 with the support of the United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic, the European Union and the United Nations Development Program.
According to the UN Mission in the Central African Republic, it is now up to the CAR’s Council of Ministers and National Assembly to review and validate the electoral code.
ODL/te/lb/as/APA