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Contents Acronyms Political Background EISA Election Update CAR Number 1 July 2010 Contents Political Background Acronyms 1 Population 4,422,000 (2009 estimates) Political Background 1 Capital Bangui A Short Briefing: Institutional Framework & Total Area 622 984² (240,534 sq miles) Electoral System 3 Major French (official language) and Sango The Independent Electoral Commission (CEI) 4 languages (national language) In the News 6 Monetary unit Central African CFA franc (XAF) Compiled by Anselme Siakam Nana, EISA [email protected] http://www.eisa.org.za/EISA/publications/cateu.htm The Central African Republic (CAR) is a Acronyms landlocked country in the APRD People’s Army for the Restoration of Democracy central sub-region CAR Central African Republic of the African CEI Independent Electoral Commission continent. It is CFA Franc Communauté Financière Africaine bordered by Chad in the North, Sudan CFC Collective Forces for Change DDR Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration in the East, the Democratic Republic of Electoral Institute for the Sustainability of Congo, Congo Republic and Cameroon EISA Democracy in Africa in the West. FODEM Democratic Forum for Modernity HIPC Heavily Indebted Poor Countries The country has been IMF International Monetary Fund unstable since its KNK Kwa Na Kwa independence from LRA Lord’s Resistance Army France in August 1960 Movement for the Liberation of Central African MLPC People and is one of the National Party for a New Central African PNCN poorest and least Republic PRGF Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility The central town of Bangui developed nations in UFVN Union des Forces Vives de la Nation the world (eighteen of the poorest countries by GDP per capita are in 1 Africa1). The contemporary history of first round and Ange-Félix Patassé was the CAR is characterised by a series of elected in a runoff in September 1993. authoritarian political regimes and Patassé won a second term in the coups d’état, as well as a notorious presidential elections of 19 September interlude as an empire under Jean-Bedel 1999, held against a backdrop of Bokassa. extreme political tension and the crumbling of the state. As a result, Patassé had to deal with serious social and political turmoil which led to a military coup led by General Francois Bozizé in March 2003. A new constitution was approved by the people of the CAR in its majority through a referendum held on 5 December 2004. Bozizé went on to win the presidential election held in March A view from Bangui: the Obangui River & the DRC and May 2005, which marked the end of The Bokassa era started in December the transitional process. Unfortunately 1965 when the then army colonel the country slid back into conflict when overthrew David Dacko, the country’s insurgence broke out in the Northern first head of state. The brutal Bokassa part. regime ended in 1979 when he was Some progress towards ending the overthrown by Dacko in a comeback conflict was made in 2008, when an all- coup. In September 1981 Dacko was inclusive national political dialogue led ousted for a second time in a coup to an agreement establishing an instigated by General André Kolingba. independent electoral commission and a The military junta introduced national unity government integrating progressively multiparty politics in the rebel groups. However, according to the country, culminating in the organisation committee established in January 2009 of relatively competitive presidential and tasked to monitor the execution of elections in August 1993. Kolingba fared the recommendations of the Dialogue, so poorly that he was eliminated in the the implementation process has been slow with regard to key political recommendations pertaining to the 1 “The Twenty Most Productive Nations in the World”. effective separation of powers and the 24/7 Wall St. http://247wallst.com/2010/06/28/72005/. 6 July 2010. 2 establishment of a permanent dialogue criminal groups. The country has also mechanism among political actors. become a sanctuary for armed and foreign rebel groups, including As for the overall security situation, it Uganda’s Lord’s Resistance Army remains generally volatile, with the (LRA). This undermines the authority of persistence of tensions among and the government, which remains within political parties, and insecurity in precarious outside Bangui, the capital the north of the country due to city. continued activities of rebel and the two candidates who received the A Short Briefing: highest number of votes. Institutional Framework The President can both dissolve the and Electoral System National Assembly and dismiss the Prime Minister at any time. The Prime Minister is appointed by the political Politics in the Central African Republic party enjoying the majority in the takes place in a framework of a semi- National Assembly. presidential system, whereby the The unicameral Parliament is composed President is both head of state and head of 105 members, elected by direct of government, with a separate Prime universal suffrage to serve five-year Minister. Executive power is exercised terms, using the two-round system. In by the government. Legislative power is this system, if no candidate has an vested in both the government and outright majority in the first round, a parliament. run-off is organised for all candidates who have secured at least 10% of the Under the 2004 Constitution, the votes. The candidate who garners the President is elected by direct universal highest number of votes is proclaimed suffrage for a 5-year term of office that winner in the constituency. can be renewed once. For a candidate to be elected President of the Republic, he/she must secure at least 50% plus one of the total votes cast. If no candidate receives an absolute majority of the valid votes in the first round, there is provision for a run-off between National Assembly Building, also home to the CEI offices 3 The CAR has a 9-member Constitutional Commission were sworn in on 16 Court (3 appointed by the President, 3 October 2009. by the Speaker of the National The mandate and powers of the CEI are Assembly and 3 magistrates elected by outlined in Chapter III of the Electoral their peers). The term of office for Code. Relevant provisions stipulate judges of the Constitutional Court is 9 inter alia that the CEI is responsible for years. Besides, there is a Supreme Court “the preparation, organisation and made up of judges appointed by the supervision” of elections and President. referendums, in partnership with the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Decentralisation. The mission is of The Independent Electoral the view that this specific provision Commission (CEI) creates a nebulous relationship between the two structures with regard to the It is worth mentioning that the CEI is effective implementation of election- not provided for in the 2004 related activities and operations. Constitution. The Independent Electoral Commission (CEI) derives from the The current CEI is composed of amended Electoral Code promulgated representatives of all entities of the 2008 on 2 October 2009. President Bozizé all-inclusive political dialogue. Its term signed a decree establishing the CEI on expires 45 days after the announcement 3 October and appointed thereafter the of the final elections results. Since the 30 members of the national coordination CEI is not permanent, there will be a of the CEI, drawn from the six groups problem of institutional memory which that had participated in the inclusive has been a particular feature of the political dialogue of December 2008. debate around the ‘loss’ of archives related to the 2005 voter’s register. The CEI President is presumed to be a neutral personality elected by members The broader view is that the institution of the national coordination, on suffers from a pronounced lack of proposals made jointly by the Speaker expertise and therefore requires of the National Assembly and the Prime thorough training for its members to Minister. This election is approved by acquire the necessary skills for an the President. Pastor Joseph Binguimalé effective management of the electoral was elected as the CEI President on 12 process. Moreover, most stakeholders October 2009 by the national co- highlighted the dysfunctional nature of ordination. All the members of the the current leadership of the CEI, which 4 has been brought together from and setting the election date to 25 April different quarters and the challenging 2010 is one of the illustrations. In fact, task of organising the 2010 elections. the CEI President has allegedly There is obviously a lack of produced a report on the status of the communication and consensus between electoral process and submitted this to the various members of the national co- President Bozizé in order for him to set ordination, which has resulted in a kind the election date. None of the other of improvisation when it comes to members of the CEI Bureau and planning and implementing the national co-ordination was consulted in organisation’s activities. the process. President Binguimalé was persistently The structure of the CEI is to some accused by most of the stakeholders, extent cumbersome and that the size of especially the opposition, of being the national co-ordination (31 members) acquainted with President Bozizé and appears to affect its efficiency and the ruling party, taking initiatives and effectiveness. The mission conceded, making decisions without referring to however, that the current composition other members of the CEI Bureau and of the CEI is justified by the efforts national co-ordination from the made to ensure fair and balanced opposition. The controversy around the representation of the different political progress report which formed the basis and social forces in the CAR, following for the decree convening the electorate the 2008 national political dialogue. 5 In the News Elections in Central African involved including the international Republic: From one postponement community are ready, we will go to to another2 polls.” This was said, following a meeting attended by leaders of political His Excellency Francois parties including opposition parties and Bozizé, the CAR the CEI on April 29, 2010.
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