• Central African Republic holds presidential election as Touadéra seeks third term

• Vote held alongside legislative and local polls, first municipal since 1988

• Elections test stability amid insecurity, poverty and slow economic recovery

Voters in the Central African Republic went to the polls on Sunday, December 28, 2025, in a presidential election as incumbent President Faustin-Archange Touadéra seeks a third consecutive term.

He faces six other candidates. Two are widely regarded as serious challengers: Anicet-Georges Dologuélé, who finished second in both the 2016 and 2020 elections, and Henri-Marie Dondra, a former prime minister under Touadéra.

The National Elections Authority (ANE) said more than 2.3 million voters were eligible to cast ballots. The presidential election was held alongside legislative, regional and municipal polls. The last municipal elections took place in 1988.

The United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) said the elections took place in a generally calm and orderly manner. A large-scale security deployment was put in place across the country in support of national defence and security forces.

The elections come amid persistent political and security instability in a country long affected by civil conflict. According to the World Bank, the Central African Republic has experienced more than two decades of recurring crises, including the seizure of power by the Séléka coalition in 2013 and a surge in violence triggered by the Coalition of Patriots for Change (CPC) in December 2020.

Despite the Political Agreement for Peace and Reconciliation in the Central African Republic (APPR-RCA), signed in 2019, insecurity persists in parts of the country.

The economy is showing signs of recovery. Growth is expected to reach 3% in 2025, up from 1.9% in 2024, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The improvement is expected to be driven by a recovery in the mining sector, infrastructure projects and a better security environment.

However, the World Bank says that since 2023, 65.7% of the population has been living in extreme poverty, below the international threshold of $2.15 per person per day.

Touadéra, 68, was elected in 2016 and re-elected in 2020. In 2023, he submitted a new constitution to a referendum, which was approved by an overwhelming majority, with the “yes” vote winning 95.27%.

A key provision replaced the five-year presidential term, renewable once, with a seven-year term renewable without limit.

The presidential election could prove to be a major test of the country’s stability, with Touadéra in a strong position, according to analysts. Provisional results are expected in the first week of January.

Lydie Mobio