CAR: Presidential candidate demands vote recount

One of the main Presidential candidates in the Central African Republic election is demanding a recount of votes manually, alleging that there were irregularities in the first round of election.

Martin Ziguélé, a former prime minister,came fourth in the first round on December 30.

According to a statement from his party on Monday, the Movement for the Liberation of Central African People (MLPC), denounced the lack of transparency in the previous election. They intend to file an appeal with the Constitutional Court, to “require the manual recount of candidates votes” and an“audit of the chain of collection and processing of electoral data.”

Martin Ziguélé, initially considered as a heavyweight of the election and perceived as “the candidate of France,” the former colonial power, garnered only 10.8% of the votes.

The party accused the National Electoral Authority (NSA) of “violating” the electoral code.

Former prime ministers Anicet Georges Dologuélé and Faustin Archange Touadéra came top in the first round and are competing in the second round scheduled for January 31.

Already alliances are emerging for the second round. Eighteen candidates have declared their support for former Prime Minister Touadéra and are calling on all Central Africans to vote for the “only real political alternative”.