CAR trains polling workers as UN calls on authorities to ensure integrity of general election

As Central African Republic gets ready for Sunday’s general election, the country’s electoral authority, backed by the MINUSCA peacekeeping force, is training more than a thousand polling workers in the commune of Bimbo.

The aim is to protect the transparency and integrity of the vote.

Dieu Aimé Ndozou Mougbia is president of the National Electoral Authority branch in Bimbo:

"We are currently training people and then we will identify a polling station president, first assessor, second assessor, third assessor and fourth assessor. Their role is to guide voters and ensure that the vote runs smoothly."

In a statement released on Wednesday, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on all stakeholders to "refrain from any action that could incite violence or undermine the credibility of the process."

Rights groups have issued warnings about repression, incomplete voter lists and untrained poll workers, particularly outside the capital Bangui.