CAR-VOTER REGISTRATION Central African Republic begins voter registration, says to hold elections on Oct. 18

Record ID: 149152

  • Title: CAR-VOTER REGISTRATION Central African Republic begins voter registration, says to hold elections on Oct. 18
  • Date: 2nd July 2015
  • Summary: BANGUI, CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC (FILE) (REUTERS) STREET SCENES INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT MISSION TO THE CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC (MISCA) PATROL CAR STREET SCENE
  • Embargoed: 17th July 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Central African Republic
  • Country: Central African Republic
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA8D3E0QVVZERXFHZCTDKFK21TD
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Central African Republic will hold presidential and parliamentary elections, seen as critical to drawing a line under a two-year inter-religious conflict, on Oct. 18, a spokesman for the interim government said this week.
    Catherine Samba Panza, the transition president of the Central Africa Republic recently launched the registration operations in the capital, Bangui.
    After enrolling in the electoral register, Panza called on the population to register ahead of the country's presidential and legislatives elections.
    "As head of state, I didn't want to register anonymously, I had to be the example in order to encourage the rest of the country who are of voting age to follow my lead, and it also helps in officially launching the election process," she said.
    The country descended into chaos in March 2013 when the predominantly Muslim Seleka rebels seized power, sparking reprisals by "anti-balaka" Christian militia, who drove out tens of thousands of Muslims from the south in a de facto partition of the landlocked country.
    A transitional authority currently in place is charged with organising elections and restoring democratic rule.
    The polls have repeatedly been delayed, however, and a national peace forum last month said that a previous timetable that would have seen elections held in June or July was unrealistic.
    The National Elections Authority (ANE) is charged with carrying out the registration process.
    The voters' list will first be used during the referendum to vote for the new constitution of the country on October 4, 2015, then for the general elections on October 18.
    According to officials from the transitional authority, the new election calendar had been agreed upon following a meeting between government officials and donors last week.
    "Today marks the first day of the official launch of voter registration, which will go throughout the country until July 27th," said Matthieu Bilet, head of the UN election co-ordination team in Central African Republic.
    A second round of elections, if required, will be held on Nov. 22.
    The polls will require a total budget of 20 billion CFA francs ($34.6 million) of which around half had already been collected from government resources and donor funding, officials said.
    "I feel very happy, because the right to vote is unfortunately, is not a right that is given to everyone in the world, so it's a privilege for me to vote," said Bangui resident Christelle Sapo.
    "I must say I am very emotional, because for a long time, we didn't think these elections would take place and now here today, we have the launch of the voter registration process, I am really happy and looking forward to what's to come," added another Bangui resident, Grerrepuendo Mwenza.
    Although the violence in Central African Republic has eased in recent months, sporadic killings still occur, fuelled by criminality, though deep divisions between Muslims and Christians persist.
    Interim President Catherine Samba Panza signed a law earlier this month that would help create a Special Criminal Court to judge crimes committed during the last two years of turmoil.
    Central African Republic remains one of Africa's biggest humanitarian crises. About 440,000 people are displaced inside the country and a further 450,000 refugees have fled its borders.
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