Central African Republic fixes election for December 3

The Central African Republic on Thursday announced it would hold presidential and parliamentary elections on December 13.

The polls were initially scheduled for October 18 but were postponed due to violence in the capital.

A run-off presidential vote will hold on Jan. 24 if necessary, a statement by the electoral body said.

The elections are intended to usher in a government with authority to restore order in one of Africa’s most turbulent states and pave the way for the departure of UN and French peacekeepers.

Central African Republic was plunged into turmoil in 2013 when Muslim rebels from an umbrella group called Seleka seized power in the majority-Christian country.

Seleka handed power to a transitional government in 2014 under international pressure but months of violence followed, killing thousands and resulting in the effective partition of the country.

It would be recalled that the murder of a Muslim man in the capital in late September triggered inter-communal violence that killed at least 40 people, and forced 40,000 to flee the conflicts.

It also led to the destruction of homes, shops and humanitarian offices.

In August a transitional council adopted a new constitution, which would be put to a referendum, a week before the elections – all the main political groups say they support it as it is likely to be adopted.