On Thursday, 03 December, the Central African Constitutional Court rejected the candidacy of François Bozizé in the presidential election of 27 December 2020. A decision that is not to please the former President’s camp.
The former President of the Central African Republic will not be able to take part in the elections on 27 December. Indeed, the Constitutional Court rejected his candidacy on the basis of Article 103 of the Electoral Code which specifies good morality among the criteria of eligibility. “The candidate is the subject of an international arrest warrant issued against him on 31 March 2014” launched by his country “for assassinations, arrests, forcible confinement, arbitrary detention and torture,” informs the Constitutional Court.
However, François Bozizé’s party was sceptical about the supreme court’s argument. “The elements invoked in support of this argument are largely subject to caution, in the sense that François Bozizé is not the subject of any condemnation. Yes, there is an arrest warrant, but he spent over a year in the territory and that arrest warrant was not executed. He was not summoned by a judge, and we all know that when he lost power, he applied justice to the victors for the purpose of settling scores.It’s too bad that the Constitutional Court, in a state that has returned to constitutional order, continues to make use of this kind of thing,” said Christian Guenebem, Bozizé’s campaign manager, adding that the time will “come for reaction”.
Paul Beninga-Crescent, spokesman for the Civil Society Working Group, calls for calm following this decision. We invite each other to restraint, we invite the leaders of political parties, especially the candidates who have not been retained, to call for calm, it is an act of maturity, it is an act of citizenship, it is an act of responsibility, This is extremely important,” he said before calling on all Central Africans, including party activists who are disabled, to be calm. “This is the law of democracy: when you want to build a rule of law, you have to comply with the decisions made by the institutions.” , he added.
It should be noted that of the 22 nominations, 17 were validated, including that of outgoing President Faustin-Archange Touadera. The five failed candidates are: Mandaba Jean Michel, former Minister of Health and President of the Party for Democratic Governance (CEO), Balekanda Bertrand, public accountant, candidate of the Alliance for Renaissance and Emergence (ARENA), Freddy Michael Guelle Gongassoua, candidate of the Party of Central African Saviors (PSC), Bozizé Yangouvonda François, former President of the Republic overthrown by the 2013 coup d’état, Sayo Ningatouloum Armel
