IFES Election Guide - Election Profile for Central African Republic

Election Profile:

Overview

Results

Of Interest/Links

Sources

Country: Central African Republic
Official Name: Central African Republic
Election Type: Presidential
Date: January 23, 2011

At stake in this election:

The office of President of Central African Republic

Description of government structure:

Chief of State: President Francois BOZIZE *
Head of Government: Prime Minister Faustin-Archange TOUADERA
Assembly: Central African Republic has a unicameral National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale) with 105 seats.

* The president can be elected for a maximum of 2 terms. Francois Bozize became president after a military coup deposed Ange-Felix Patasse on March 13, 2003.

Description of electoral system:

The President is elected by absolute majority vote through a two-round system to serve a 6-year term.
Prime Minister is elected by parliament.
In the National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale) 105 members are elected by absolute majority vote in single-member constituencies to serve 5-year terms.***

*** If no candidate receives an absolute majority in the first round, a second round is held between the top two candidates.

Main Candidates in the Presidential race:

Francois BOZIZE
Party: National Convergence / Convergence Nationale "Kwa Na Kwa" (KNK)
Martin ZIGUELE
Party: Movement for the Liberation of the Central African People / Mouvement pour la Libération du Peuple Centrafricain (MLPC)
Ange-Félix PATASSE
Independent(s): N/A
Jean-Jaques DEMOFOUTH
Party: People's Army for the Restoration of Democracy / L’Armée Populaire pour la restauration de la république et la démocratie (APRD)
Emile Gros Raymond NAKOMBO
Party: Central African Democratic Rally / Rassemblement Démocratique Centrafricain