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25-31 January 2016

Weekly Media Monitoring report for the Central African Republic
Posted on January 29, 2016

Contents

Compiled by Christina Murphy

Report content:

  1. Constitutional court invalidates results of legislative elections
  2. Protestors in Bangui call for annulment of presidential election results 
1. Constitutional court invalidates results of legislative elections 

Benn, Margaux. "Central African Republic: Court Invalidates Legislative Election." The New York Times, 25 January 2016. In English.

  • The constitutional court in CAR validated the results of the first round of presidential elections in the country, but invalidated the results of the legislative elections, citing irregularities in voting.
  • Candidates were reportedly "puzzled" by the announcement, while election observers warned that redoing the vote at a later date would be extremely costly. 

"Central African court cancels legislative polls, orders rerun." Reuters, 26 January 2016. In English.

  • CAR's constitutional court announced that they are scrapping the results of legislative elections held on 30 December and will reschedule the vote for the whole country.
  • A spokesman for the court said that the decision to invalidate the results stemmed from "irregularities" in voting. 

"Candidates Complain About CAR Poll Cancellation." Voice of America, 27 January 2016. In English.

  • The constitutional court in CAR upheld the results of the first round of presidential elections, but ruled that there were too many irregularities in the parliamentary polls.
  • The country's prime minister, Mahamat Kamoun, defended the decision, stating that polling sites in the country lacked almost 500,000 ballot papers at the time of the elections.
  • Several parliamentary candidates, particularly those who believed that they had won, have complained about the ruling in the media. Some have called the ruling "inconsistent," since the court did not find irregularities in the presidential polls.

 

2. Protestors in Bangui call for annulment of presidential election results 

Dembassa-Kette, Crispin. "Hundreds march in Central African Republic demanding vote re-run." Reuters, 29 January 2016. In English.

  • Hundreds of people marched in Bangui on Friday 29 January and called for the results of the first round of presidential elections to be annulled.
  • The demonstrators, who were mostly supporters of losing candidates, denounced the decision of the constitutional court to uphold the presidential results while invalidating the results of the legislative and parliamentary elections.
  • The demonstrators marched to the headquarters of the U.N. mission in Bangui and called for the U.N. to take action in the matter. One youth leader declared, "So long as there is no response, we won't leave." 

"La jeunesse de l'AFDT exige l'annulation de la présidentielle de décembre 2015." Radio Ndeke Luka, 29 January 2016. In French.

  • Youth supporters of the political group Alliance of the Democratic Forces for the Transition (AFDT) protested at the U.N. headquarters in Bangui on Friday 29 January, calling for the total annulment of the results of the recent presidential elections.
  • Youth leaders in the group called for the U.N. to take action in the matter and put an end to the political crisis in the country.
  • In an interview on Radio Ndeke Luka radio, the government's minister of public security criticized the protests, saying that they are illegal and an attempt to delay the electoral process.  
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