Outgoing Central African President Faustin-Archange Touadéra has won an absolute majority in the first round of the presidential election, according to provisional results announced overnight from Monday to Tuesday by the National Elections Authority (ANE), the country’s electoral body.
Touadéra, the candidate of the United Hearts Movement (MCU), secured 76.15% of the votes cast, followed by former Prime Minister Anicet-Georges Dologuélé with 14.66% and former Prime Minister Henri-Marie Dondra with 3.19%, according to the ANE.
The president of the ANE, Mathias Barthélemy Morouba, announced that Touadéra has been “provisionally elected” President of the Central African Republic.
Approximately 2.3 million voters were registered, with a turnout rate of 52.42%, he said during the proclamation of the results.
“Thank you to the Central African people (…) this is the result of your determination,” read statements posted on Touadéra’s official campaign platforms on social media shortly after the announcement of the results.
The provisional results will be forwarded to the Constitutional Court, which will examine any potential appeals before announcing the final results by January 20.
