Incumbent President of Central African Republic, Faustin-Archange Touadéra has won a third term in office, securing a landslide victory in the country’s general elections, according to provisional results released late Monday.
The National Elections Authority (ANE) announced that Touadéra received 76.15% of the vote in the Dec. 28 election.
His closest rival, former Prime Minister Anicet-Georges Dologuélé, trailed significantly with 14.66%, while another former prime minister, Henri-Marie Dondra, garnered 3.19%.
The election was the first of its kind in the nation’s history, with voters casting ballots simultaneously for presidential, legislative, regional, and municipal seats.
ANE President Mathias Barthelemy Morouba confirmed that voter turnout stood at 52.42%.
Touadéra, 68, a former mathematics professor who first took office in 2016, sought a third term after a controversial 2023 constitutional referendum scrapped presidential term limits and extended mandates from five to seven years.
He campaigned largely on a platform of security, highlighting his efforts to stabilize the nation with the support of Rwandan troops and Russian security contractors.
However, the process was marred by a boycott from the main opposition coalition, the Bloc Républicain pour la Défense de la Constitution (BRDC), which labeled the electoral environment unequal and unfair.
Opposition candidates have already signaled their intent to challenge the results, citing allegations of widespread fraud and procedural malpractice.
The provisional results must now be submitted to the Constitutional Court, which is expected to certify the final outcome within the coming days.
Despite the de-escalation of the country's long-running civil conflict following a 2019 peace deal, security remained a primary concern for the roughly 2.4 million registered voters.
The Central African Republic has struggled with instability since 2013, when a rebel uprising forced then-President François Bozizé from power.
