By Riches Soberekon
The Constitutional Court of the Central African Republic (CAR) has officially validated the results of the constitutional referendum held in July.
The court announced that the “yes” camp emerged victorious with an overwhelming 95.3% of the votes, while the “no” camp secured 4.97%.
With this validation, the new constitution, which was enacted on July 30, 2023, has been officially recognized by the court. Notably, 57.23% of the approximately 1.7 million registered voters actively participated in the referendum.
One of the key changes introduced by the new constitution is the extension of the presidential term from five to seven years. The term limit of two terms has also been abolished, allowing President Faustin Archange Touadera to potentially seek a third term in office.
President Touadera had proposed these constitutional amendments last year, emphasizing that they would contribute to the country’s development. However, the opposition has strongly criticized the results, alleging that the changes aim to establish a “life presidency” for Touadera.
At 66 years old, Touadera was initially elected in 2016 after a period of civil war and was reelected in 2020, albeit amidst disruptions caused by armed rebel groups. In August 2022, he established a commission to draft the new constitution.
The Central African Republic now joins the ranks of other African nations, including Burundi, Uganda, Rwanda, the Republic of Congo, and the Ivory Coast, which have made constitutional amendments in recent years to enable presidents to extend their time in office.
