Referendum in Central Africa may prolong Touadera’s leadership tenure

BANGUI (Reuters) – Central African Republic is currently holding a constitutional referendum on Sunday, which, if approved, could eliminate the presidential term limit and allow President Faustin-Archange Touadera to run for a third term in 2025.

Touadera was initially elected in 2016 for a five-year term and won re-election in 2020 for what was expected to be his final term in office.

The proposed new constitution would reset the clock, enabling him to pursue a fresh seven-year mandate, and there would be no limit on the number of terms he or any other candidate could serve as president.

Opposition parties and some civil society groups have called for a boycott of the referendum, claiming it is a ploy to keep Touadera in power for life.

In the early hours of Sunday, a Reuters reporter observed meager turnout at a polling station in a northern suburb of the capital Bangui, with only around two dozen voters in the queue.

“I hope my friends will come out in large numbers to vote. What I truly desire is stability for our country to progress,” said Laurent Ngombe, a teacher and one of the first individuals to cast their vote.

The land-locked Central African Republic, approximately the size of France and with a population of around 5.5 million, is abundant in natural resources such as gold, diamonds, and timber. However, the country has experienced periods of instability including coups and rebellions since gaining independence from France in 1960.

Touadera, a 66-year-old mathematician, has struggled to suppress rebel groups that have taken control of certain regions after former President Francois Bozize was ousted by a rebellion in 2013.

In 2018, Touadera sought assistance from Russia in tackling the rebels. Subsequently, more than 1,500 troops, including trainers and private military contractors from Russia’s Wagner group, have been deployed in the country alongside the national army.

(Reporting by Judicael Yongo; Writing by Bate Felix; Editing by Bernadette Baum)