Central African Republic: United Nations (UN) Expert calls for urgent institutional reform of electoral authority ahead of 2025 elections
The National Elections Authority (ANE) in the Central African Republic is grappling with serious operational hurdles ahead of the 2025 legislative, presidential, and local elections, a UN expert warned today.
“Despite the multiform support provided by national authorities and technical and financial partners to the ANE, persistent internal dysfunction has hampered its effectiveness, compromising the running of the electoral timetable,” said Yao Agbetse, Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in the Central African Republic.
The ANE is the constitutional body mandated to organise elections in the Central African Republic (CAR).
Legislative and presidential elections must be held within strict constitutional deadlines in 2025.
The local elections are critically important to the transitional justice process in CAR and will strengthen local governance as a lever for the restoration of state authority and an instrument of peace and national reconciliation, the expert said.
“ANE’s efforts to respond to challenges encountered, in particular by organising a high-level dialogue on 16 and 17 May 2025 to curb violence against women during the electoral period, do not prevent objective concerns about several aspects of the electoral process,” Agbetse said.
“Local elections, initially scheduled for 2022, have been postponed several times,” he said.
Agbetse noted that despite assurances provided by senior ANE officials during his mission to CAR in February 2025 and at several press conferences, the holding of these elections on the set date of 31 August 2025 remains uncertain.
While a revised electoral register is a fundamental basis for transparency, credibility and inclusiveness of the electoral process, the ANE had so far failed to produce even a provisional version of the register, the expert noted.
“This is a serious situation because the publication of a definitive electoral list was scheduled for 29 May 2025 to enable the Government to issue the decree convening the electorate on 4 June 2025,” Agbetse said.
“The current electoral budget, which only covers local elections despite being six months away from presidential and legislative polls, needs urgent reassessment to reflect operational realities,” the expert warned.
He cited the 17 May 2025 derogation law suspending Article 18 of the Electoral Code as proof of the hurdles faced by the ANE. Agbetse said there were major challenges in awarding contracts for electoral materials, deploying technical staff, and processing electoral data.
“With the first round of presidential and legislative elections set for 28 December 2025, the electoral register must be finalised by 28 September. At the current pace, these deadlines are unlikely to be met, undermining confidence in the process. Swift action is essential,” the expert said.
Agbetse urged an institutional overhaul of the ANE and its local branches to boost technical, organisational, and strategic capacity and ensure transparent internal governance.
He called for a realistic, agreed electoral timetable and appealed to the international community to enhance support for CAR’s democratic institutions and ensure credible, inclusive, and peaceful elections in line with international standards.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations: Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).
