The Central African Republic (CAR), formerly known as Ubangi-Shari, is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It is bordered by Chad to the north, Sudan to the northeast, South Sudan to the east, the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the south, the Republic of the Congo to the southwest, and Cameroon to the west. Bangui is the country's capital and largest city, bordering the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Central African Republic covers a land area of about 620,000 square kilometres (240,000 sq mi). As of 2024, it has a population of 5,357,744, and is in the scene of a civil war, which has been ongoing since 2012. As a former French colony, French is the official language, with Sango, a Ngbandi-based creole language as the national and co-official language.
President is a common title for the head of state in most republics. Depending on the country, a president could be head of government, a ceremonial figurehead, or something between these two extremes.
The politics of Zambia takes place in a framework of a presidential representative democratic republic, whereby the president of Zambia is head of state, head of government and leader of a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government, while legislative power is vested in both the government and parliament. Formerly Northern Rhodesia, Zambia became a republic immediately upon attaining independence in October 1964.
A presidential, strong-president, or single-executive system is a form of government in which a head of government heads an executive branch that derives its authority and legitimacy from a source that is separate from the legislative branch. The system was popularized by its inclusion in the Constitution of the United States.
François Bozizé Yangouvonda is a Central African politician who was President of the Central African Republic from 2003 to 2013. He was the only Central African president born in modern-day Gabon.
The Fifth Republic is France's current republican system of government. It was established on 4 October 1958 by Charles de Gaulle under the Constitution of the Fifth Republic.
The president of South Africa is the head of state and head of government of the Republic of South Africa. The president directs the executive branch of the government and is the commander-in-chief of the South African National Defence Force. Between 1961 and 1994, the office of head of state was the state presidency.
The Cameroon People's Democratic Movement is the ruling political party in Cameroon. Previously known as the Cameroonian National Union, which had dominated Cameroon politics since independence in the 1960s, it was renamed in 1985. The national president of the CPDM is Paul Biya, the president of Cameroon, while the secretary-general of the party's Central Committee is Jean Nkuete.
The Socialist Party of Senegal is a political party in Senegal. It was the ruling party in Senegal from independence in 1960 until 2000. In 2000, the party's candidate and previous incumbent president, Abdou Diof, was defeated by the leader of the Senegalese Democratic Party, Abdoulaye Wade.
Mozambique elects representatives at several levels:
Elections in Togo take place within the framework of a presidential system. Both the President and the National Assembly are directly elected by voters. Togo is a one party dominant state with the Union for the Republic in power.
General elections were held in the Central African Republic on March 13, 2005 to elect the President and National Assembly. A second round was held for both elections on May 8, marking the end of the transitional process that began with the seizure of power by François Bozizé in a March 2003 coup, overthrowing President Ange-Félix Patassé. A new constitution was approved in a referendum in December 2004 and took effect the same month.
The unicameral Assemblée nationale or National Assembly is Guinea's legislative body. Since the country's birth in 1958, it has experienced political turmoil, and elections have been called at irregular intervals, and only since 1995 have they been more than approval of a one-party state's slate of candidates. The number of seats has also fluctuated.
Faustin-Archange Touadéra is a Central African politician and academic who has been President of the Central African Republic since March 2016. He previously was Prime Minister of the Central African Republic from January 2008 to January 2013. In the December 2015 – February 2016 presidential election, he was elected to the presidency in a second round of voting against former prime minister Anicet Georges Dologuélé. He was re-elected for a second term on 27 December 2020.
General elections were held in the Central African Republic on 23 January 2011 to elect the President and National Assembly, having been postponed numerous times. Incumbent President François Bozizé was re-elected for a second term in the first round of voting, receiving 66% of the vote. The organization of the elections was plagued by difficulties, and the opposition repeatedly demanded its postponement. Ultimately it was delayed until January 2011, requiring an extension of the terms of both the President and the National Assembly.
A constitutional referendum was held in the Central African Republic on 21 November 1986, following a military coup in 1981. The new constitution would make the country a one-party state with the Central African Democratic Rally as the sole legal party. The presidential term was to be set at six years, with no term limits. Under its provisions, André Kolingba, who had led the military regime since 1981, was automatically elected as president. It was approved by 92.22% of voters with an 87.6% turnout.
Parliamentary elections were held in the Central African Republic on 31 July 1987, the first since 1964. The country was a one-party state at the time following a referendum the previous year, with the Central African Democratic Rally as the sole legal party. The party put forward 142 candidates for the 52 seats in the National Assembly. Voter turnout was around 50%.
General elections were held in the Central African Republic on 30 December 2015 to elect the president and National Assembly. As no presidential candidate received more than 50% of the vote, and following the annulling of the results of the National Assembly elections by the Transitional Constitutional Court, a second round of the presidential elections and a re-run of the parliamentary elections were held on 14 February 2016, with second round run-offs for the parliamentary elections on 31 March.
General elections were held in the Central African Republic on 27 December 2020 to elect the President and National Assembly. A second round of the legislative elections was originally scheduled to take place on 14 February 2021.
Central African Republicportal 