28 December - 3 January 2016
Weekly Media Monitoring report for the Central African Republic
Posted on January 13, 2016
Contents
Compiled by Christina Murphy
- Grenade blast in Bangui kills three ahead of elections
- CAR holds presidential and legislative elections
1. Grenade blast in Bangui kills three ahead of elections
Gondamoyen, Jean-Louis. "Central African Republic Grenade Attack Kills Three Before Vote." Bloomberg, 28 December 2015. In English.
- Three people were killed in Bangui on 28 December when grenades were thrown at a vehicle used by supporters of presidential candidate Karim Mekassousa.
- A local official blamed anti-balaka forces for the attack, a claim which was refuted by a spokesman for anti-balaka groups.
- This attack took place two days before presidential and legislative elections, which were originally scheduled for 27 December.
2. CAR holds presidential and legislative elections
"Décryptage à Bangui des élections participatives malgré certaines irrégularités." Centrafrique Presse Info (CPI), 30 December 2015. In French.
- Despite some irregularities, the presidential elections on 30 December saw a high rate of voter turnout in Bangui.
- Several polling sites experienced delays and inconsistent hours due to the delayed arrival of election materials and missing documents.
"A la Une: on a voté dans le calme en Centrafrique." Radio France Internationale (RFI), 31 December 2015. In French.
- Voters went to the polls in CAR on 30 December and, despite some reports of irregularities, the elections were carried out peacefully.
- Voter turnout was high and, unlike the constitutional referendum that took place on 13 December, there were no reports of violence or gunfire in Bangui.
- Several West African media outlets hailed the election as a success and urged the presidential candidates to accept the results without protests.