Turkey- Court bars Central Africa's ex president from polls
Date
12/9/2015 4:32:02 AM
(MENAFN- The Journal Of Turkish Weekly) The constitutional court of Central African Republic has rejected the candidacy of former president Francois Bozize in the upcoming Dec. 27 presidential polls.
Bozize who lives in exile in Uganda is accused of committing crimes during the recent conflict in the country and also faces a travel ban imposed by the UN.
The court published on Tuesday a list of 29 candidates for the polls which included the names of ex-prime minister Anicet-Georges Dologuele ex-premier Martin Ziguele and Karim Meckassoua a Muslim former minister who has sympathizers both in Christian and Muslim communities.
Presidential elections were originally slated for 2014; however they were postponed several times due to the ongoing instability in the republic.
Bozize a Christian who came to power through a coup in 2003 was ousted in 2013 by the pro-Muslim Seleka militia. The rebels had then installed Michel Djotodia a Muslim as an interim president.
In early 2014 Djotodia stepped down to be replaced as president by Catherine Samba-Panza – a Christian and the first woman to hold the post – amid a wave of violence between Christian anti-Balaka militiamen and Muslim Seleka militias.
Two million people are expected to take part in the Dec. 27 general elections. A second round may take place on Jan. 16 2016 if no candidate gets an absolute majority of the vote.
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