Central African Voters Cast Ballots in Referendum That Could Extend Touadéra's Rule

Voters in the Central African Republic cast their ballots today, Sunday, in a referendum on a constitutional amendment that, if approved, would abolish the limit on the number of presidential terms. This would give President Faustin-Archange Touadéra the opportunity to run for a third term in 2025. If the new constitution is passed, it would allow Touadéra to run for a new seven-year term, and he or any other candidate would have the right to run for the presidency without a maximum limit on terms. Opposition parties and some civil society groups have called for a boycott of the referendum, stating that "its purpose is to keep Touadéra in power for life."