The Constitutional Court of the Central African Republic (CAR) on Monday confirmed that President Faustin Archange Touadera has won a third term, securing 78 percent of the vote in last month’s election. The court also rejected an appeal by his main opponent, former Prime Minister Anicet George Dologuele, who had alleged fraud in the provisional results. Dologuele garnered 13.5 percent of the vote.
Touadera, who has positioned himself as a candidate of stability, ran in a country that has faced decades of civil wars, coups, and authoritarian rule since gaining independence from France in 1960. The president’s path to a third term was enabled by a new constitution adopted in 2023, which removed limits on consecutive terms.
This marks Touadera’s third successive victory over Dologuele, who also finished second in both the 2016 and 2020 elections contests that were similarly marred by allegations of irregularities.
Since first taking office amid a civil war, Touadera has overseen a relative easing of unrest, although clashes between armed groups and government forces continue in some regions of the country.
The national election authority reported a turnout of just over 52 percent in the December 28 polls, which also included legislative, regional, and municipal elections. Despite his defeat in the presidential race, Dologuele is expected to compete in a second-round run-off for a parliamentary seat, with dates for the vote yet to be announced.
Touadera’s re-election underscores his enduring influence in a nation striving for stability, even as challenges from armed factions and political rivals continue to shape CAR’s fragile democratic landscape.
