HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

A
constitutional referendum A referendum (plural: referendums or less commonly referenda) is a direct vote by the electorate on a proposal, law, or political issue. This is in contrast to an issue being voted on by a representative. This may result in the adoption of a ...
was held in the
Central African Republic The Central African Republic (CAR; ; , RCA; , or , ) is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It is bordered by Chad to the north, Sudan to the northeast, South Sudan to the southeast, the DR Congo to the south, the Republic of th ...
on 30 July 2023.


Background

Incumbent president Faustin-Archange Touadéra's party, the
United Hearts Movement The United Hearts Movement (french: Mouvement cœurs unis, MCU) is a political party in the Central African Republic led by Faustin-Archange Touadéra. History The party was formed in November 2018 as a political association by President Faust ...
, proposed abolishing
term limits A term limit is a legal restriction that limits the number of terms an officeholder may serve in a particular elected office. When term limits are found in presidential and semi-presidential systems they act as a method of curbing the potenti ...
in 2022, arguing that presidential term limits were uncommon in many neighboring countries. Critics and opposition parties held protests as the reform would allow president Touadéra to run again in 2025 for a third term. President Touadéra installed a 55-member commission (all appointed by him) to draft the proposed changes in August. However, the Constitutional Court ruled the committee unconstitutional and annulled it, stating that a constitutional reform process could not be triggered without consent from the Senate, which at the time had still not been established according to the 2015 constitution. Touadéra responded by sacking the head of the Constitutional Court, illegal under the 2015 constitution, which opposition parties saw as a
self coup A self-coup, also called autocoup (from the es, autogolpe), is a form of coup d'état in which a nation's head, having come to power through legal means, tries to stay in power through illegal means. The leader may dissolve or render powerless ...
. The head of the court, Danièle Darlan, alleged that she had been approached earlier that year by the
chargé d'affaires A ''chargé d'affaires'' (), plural ''chargés d'affaires'', often shortened to ''chargé'' (French) and sometimes in colloquial English to ''charge-D'', is a diplomat who serves as an embassy's chief of mission in the absence of the ambassador ...
of the Russian Embassy, Bangui, who asked her how they could ensure Touadéra remained in power. President Touadéra announced in May 2023 he would hold a referendum on 30 July to change the constitution. This has reportedly been divisive, and the surrounding situation in the country has been volatile. The text of the new constitution was not made public until 10 July, less than three weeks before the vote. Additionally, the official preparations for the referendum occurred shortly before a temporary recall of some members of the Wagner Group, who had been assisting in securing several regions of the country, following their
rebellion Rebellion, uprising, or insurrection is a refusal of obedience or order. It refers to the open resistance against the orders of an established authority. A rebellion originates from a sentiment of indignation and disapproval of a situation and ...
in June.


Changes

* Presidential term limits would be abolished. The presidential term would also be extended from five to seven years. * To be eligible to run for the presidency, a person, as well as their parents, would need to have been born in the Central African Republic, not hold dual citizenship, have resided in the country for no less than two years, and hold a university degree. * The position of Vice President would be created. The position would be appointed by the president, and would serve to replace the president in the case of a permanent vacancy in power, as well as being tasked with organizing a new presidential election within three months in that case. * The Senate, de jure established by the 2015 constitution but which was never set up, would be abolished. A Chamber of Traditional Chiefdoms would be created instead dedicated to the valorization of habits and customs. * The National Assembly would no longer have control over mining contracts, with this privilege instead being awarded to the President. * The composition of the Constitutional Court would be changed: ** Nine total members changed to 11 ** One member appointed by the president raised to three ** One member appointed each by the President of the National Assembly and President of the Senate changed to 3 appointed by the National Assembly as a whole ** Six members appointed by legal associations changed to five ** Requirement of equal members of males and females ± 1 would be abolished


Results

Provisional results released by the government on 6 August stated that the referendum was approved by over 95% of those voting, with a turnout of around 60%. These figures were contested by the opposition, which boycotted the referendum, with the opposition estimating actual turnout as below 15%. Some opposition figures also claimed that "no" ballots were not present at several polling stations. The Constitutional Court validated the results of the referendum on 20 August.


Reactions

The United States State Department issued a press release through spokesperson Matthew Miller, stating that " e United States notes with deep reservations reports of low voter participation and concerns over secrecy of the ballot. Free and fair elections, with inclusive electoral processes are essential for any democracy." The State Department further called on the Central African Republic's government to issue a date for local elections.


References

{{Central African Republic elections
Central Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object. Central may also refer to: Directions and generalised locations * Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known as ...
Constitutional
Central Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object. Central may also refer to: Directions and generalised locations * Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known as ...
Referendums in the Central African Republic Constitutional referendums