Central African Republic - July 2023

A lengthy process to replace the constitution in the Central African Republic concluded with a referendum held on 30 July. The official results indicated that 95 per cent of those who voted supported ratification of the new constitution, with turnout reported as 57 per cent of registered voters. Opposition parties dismissed the referendum as a ‘farce.’ The most widely discussed changes in the new constitution concern presidential terms. Under the new constitution the length of the president’s term will be seven years (up from five) and there will be no limit on the number of terms a president may serve. Current President Faustin Archange Touadera had pushed for this new constitution, and is widely expected to make use of the new provisions on presidential terms to seek to extend his time in office.

Sources: AfricaNews, Radio France Internationale, Associated Press, British Broadcasting Corporation