• Electoral authorities declared President Faustin-Archange Touadéra the provisional winner with 76.15% of votes in the first round.
• Opposition parties rejected the vote and demanded a full annulment, citing institutional bias and electoral mismanagement.
• The IMF projected 3% economic growth in 2025, supported by mining, infrastructure investment, and improved security.

The National Elections Authority (ANE) of the Central African Republic announced the official proclamation of provisional presidential election results overnight from Monday, January 5, to Tuesday, January 6, according to local media.

Preliminary figures showed a landslide victory for incumbent President Faustin-Archange Touadéra, who secured re-election in the first round with 76.15% of the vote.

More than 2.3 million voters participated in the first round of the presidential election held on Sunday, December 28.

The ANE reported an official voter turnout of 52.42%.

Opposition candidates rejected the results. Henri-Marie Dondra, who placed third with 3.19% of the vote, described the election as a “masquerade” and called for the “pure and simple annulment of the vote.”

Opposition leaders accused the ANE of incompetence in organizing the election. They also accused both the electoral authority and the Constitutional Court of operating under government control.

The election took place in a fragile political and security environment.

The Central African Republic has experienced more than two decades of recurrent crises. The country faced the Seleka coalition’s seizure of power in 2013 and renewed violence from the Coalition of Patriots for Change (CPC) in December 2020.

Despite political tensions, the economy showed signs of recovery.

The International Monetary Fund projected economic growth of 3% in 2025, up from 1.9% in 2024. The IMF attributed the outlook to a rebound in mining activity, infrastructure projects, and gradual security improvements.

The next government will face major social and economic challenges.

Authorities must strengthen security and social cohesion, expand access to education and healthcare, reduce extreme poverty, and develop the country’s agricultural, forestry, and mining potential.

Electoral authorities expect final presidential election results by mid-January 2025.

This article was initially published in French by Ingrid Haffiny (intern)

Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum