Violence threatens Central African Republic’s presidential and legislative elections on Sunday, and some opposition candidates have pulled out of the race amid growing insecurity.
President Faustin Archange Touadera and his party say the vote will go ahead after government forces clashed with rebels in recent days as the United Nations’ peacekeeping force tried to prevent a blockade of Bangui, the capital.
Rwanda, which sent in soldiers after its peacekeepers came under threat, and Central African Republic have blamed the confrontation on former President Francois Bozize, alleging an attempted power grab ahead of a vote from which he is barred from participating. Russian forces also have arrived to help with security.
Parties in the Democratic Opposition Coalition known as COD-2020 this week said seven of its candidates will pull out of the election, citing the violence. The parties had wanted the vote to be delayed, alleging poor preparations and an electoral body influenced by the president. A delay would allow more time to work toward a national unity government, the parties said.
Experts warn of a strong chance of further violence if the opposition doesn’t accept the election results. “A contested outcome may lead to a post-electoral crisis that armed groups could use to further weaken the state,” the International Crisis Group noted.
Sixteen candidates are running for president, including three women and Touadera. There are more than 1,500 candidates for 140 seats in the national assembly. More than 1.86 million voters are registered, but more than 598,000 refugees in neighboring countries will not vote, according to the UN.