Central African Republic: Faustin Touadera elected president as Anicet Dologuele concedes

Central African Republic presidential candidate Anicet George Dologuele has said he will accept the results of the presidential election runoff of February 14.

At a press conference, Dologuele said he will recognize Faustin Touadera as president.

“For the sake of peace I will accept the result and respect Touadera as president of the Republic. I wish him good luck,” Dologuele told a press conference in Bangui.

A former prime minister, Dologuele topped the first round of the December 30, 2015 presidential election in the crisis-hit central African nation. But his rival Touadera garnered 62.71 percent of the ballots cast in the runoff of February 14, according to results by the National Elections Authority (ANE).

Touadera, also a former prime minister, was named winner of the run-off elections that are hoped to turn the page on years of violent turmoil in the country.

The 2 former prime ministers had campaigned on a platform of restoring security and boosting the economy. Many hope the elections will strengthen a tentative peace after more than 2 years of sectarian conflict.

Reconciliation and recovery are the huge tasks facing the Central African Republic’s new leader.

Source: Agencies