Bangui: President Faustin-Archange Touadéra's recent nomination for a third presidential term by his United Hearts Movement (MCU) has sparked significant controversy in the Central African Republic (CAR). This move comes after a contentious referendum in 2023, which the opposition and civil society organizations fear could allow the 68-year-old leader to remain in power indefinitely.

According to Deutsche Welle, the electoral commission reported that 95% of referendum participants supported changes to the constitution, enabling the president to pursue a third term. These amendments abolished the previous two-term limit and extended the presidential mandate from five to seven years. Opposition groups and civil society organizations, however, boycotted the referendum, alleging fraud and not recognizing President Touadéra's legitimacy. Concerns have been raised about the integrity of the upcoming 2025 election.

The Arc-En-Ciel network, tasked with observing the elections in CAR, highlighted the absence of data from 754 out of the 3,919 registration centers established by the National Electoral Authority (ANE). Numerous irregularities have been noted in the ANE's provisional electoral lists, leading to fears that the international community might withhold funding if the elections are deemed lacking in credibility.

Yao Agbetsé, a United Nations researcher and human rights lawyer, underscored these concerns in his latest report. He cited the persistent internal dysfunction within the ANE, which has hampered its effectiveness and compromised the electoral timetable. Agbetsé warned that finalizing electoral registers on time remains unlikely, further fueling opposition allegations of referendum fraud.