Former Central African Republic prime minister Faustin-Archange Touadera has won a presidential run-off, the electoral commission said on Saturday, in what was widely seen as a step toward reconciliation after years of violent turmoil. Crowds sang and danced into the night in the streets of the capital Bangui, where many people have been killed during three years of inter-communal strife. “It’s the central African people who have won tonight,” said Max Farafei, a 32-year-old motorcycle taxi driver. “Now we all need to rally behind (Touadera) to rebuild the country.” Touadera, 58, a former mathematics professor who campaigned against corruption, won 62.71 percent of votes cast in the Feb. 14 election, according to initial results announced by National Elections Authority (ANE) president Marie-Madeleine Nkouet.
Anicet-Georges Dologuele, also a former prime minister, won 37.29 percent, reversing the two rivals’ rankings from the first round. Dologuele said he would accept the results, despite what he called “massive fraud” in the second round.
“For the sake of peace, I choose to respect the provisional results published by the ANE and to renounce an appeal to the constitutional court … and to recognize Faustin Archange Touadera as the leader of all central Africans,” he told reporters at his home shortly after the results were released. Touadera’s spokesman called for calm and asked the country’s population of 5 million to accompany the new leader in his pursuit of “reconciliation and recovery”.
Turnout in the vote was about 61 percent, the ANE said.
Full Article: Ex-PM Touadera wins Central African Republic presidential vote | Reuters.