Central African Republic: President Touadéra announces a constitutional referendum

Faustin-Archange Touadéra will call a constitutional referendum. The Central African president announced it in a message to the nation, posted online on Tuesday afternoon, May 30. The Head of State said he had consulted the President of the National Assembly and the President of the Constitutional Court. However, he did not indicate a date for the consultation, nor what text will be presented.

Central African President Faustin-Archange Touadéra, September 17, 2021 in Bangui. © Carol Valade / RFI

Text by: Jean-Pierre Monzat

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Faustin-Archange Touadéra claims to have "scrupulously observed" the fundamental law of 2016 on which he has twice taken the oath. However, according to him, the current Constitution "contains provisions that could jeopardize the development" of the country.

A "majority" of Central Africans find it "insufficient", "it does not clearly affirm the sovereignty of the state or national independence," he added, highlighting the pro-referendum mobilizations organized in recent months by groups close to the government. A new demonstration was also announced for Wednesday, May 31.

According to him, this referendum is part of the "deep reform of the state" that he promised during the 2020 presidential campaign, and will "improve the regular functioning of institutions by putting more emphasis on transparency and accountability".

The issue has given rise to several months of legal tug-of-war. In September 2022, the Constitutional Court annulled the decree creating a committee to draft a new constitution. The president of the institution, Danièle Darlan, had been forced to retire and at the end of January 2023, the Court had validated the law governing the organization of referendums.

Faustin-Archange Touadéra's opponents say the reform only aims to blow up the two-term presidential term limit included in the 2016 text. In his message to the nation, the Central African president replies that "it is not a question of preventing political alternation".

>> READ ALSO: The Central African Republic approves the law on the "tokenization" of its resources

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  • Central African Republic
  • Faustin-Archange Touadéra