Central African Republic

Emerging from a civil war which culminated in the Séléka invasion of Bangui in March 2013, the Central African Republic (CAR) initiated an 18-month transitional period culiminating in presidential and legislative elections. Despite some promising developments, numerous challenges remain, including significant budgetary and security constraints.

In response to these challenges, and in light of the weaknesses outlined in the International Foundation for Electoral Systems’ (IFES) December 2013 Desk Analysis of the 2013 Code Électoral – Central African Republic, IFES assisted the electoral process by providing targeted, rapid-response technical support to electoral institutions with the goal of strengthening the country’s electoral framework and building the credibility of the 2015 elections. The two main objectives of IFES’ program in CAR were to:

• Strengthen CAR’s legal framework for elections in advance of planned 2015 elections; and
• Enhance the National Authority for Elections’ (ANE) capability to plan and implement credible elections under a tight timeline and difficult operational conditions with targeted technical assistance.

In order to achieve these objectives, IFES adopted an approach centered on deploying highly qualified technical experts to work directly with the ANE and key CAR officials to provide timely and much-needed support that enabled the next general elections to be held in an orderly and credible manner.