Landmark election results expected today

Results for the landmark elections in the Central African Republic (CAR) are expected today (Monday), reports the United Nations. Voting proceeded largely as planned in CAR’s first-ever combined presidential, legislative, regional and municipal elections, and ballot counting is now complete, the UN peacekeeping mission (Minusca)) said on Wednesday, with results expected to be announced on 5 January. According to Minusca, preliminary reports from observers indicate that more than 99% of polling stations across the country opened as scheduled on election day. The 28 December vote marked an unprecedented moment in the country’s political history, bringing together four ballots in a single electoral exercise. Municipal elections, in particular, had not been held in CAR since 1988 and were a key provision of the 2019 Political Agreement for Peace and Reconciliation. Vast, sparsely populated and landlocked, CAR is criss-crossed by dense forests, rivers and long, often impassable roads. Outside Bangui, many communities are reachable only by air or days-long journeys. Minusca said it worked closely with national authorities and UN agencies to support the electoral process, delivering all voting materials on time despite difficult terrain and security constraints. Security for the polls was reinforced through the deployment of additional national troops and police, supported logistically by Minusca, alongside strengthened patrols by UN peacekeepers and police personnel.

Full report in UN website