Leader of Central African Republic calls for support for elections planned for 2015


The international community has been urged by the interim president of the Central African Republic (CAR) to provide technical and financial support for elections planned for February 2015.

Catherine Samba-Panza spoke at a high level meeting on CAR in the margins of the general debate of the UN General Assembly on Friday.
She said that the legal frameworks and various regulatory bodies for the elections, in which she won't be running, have been established.

"It is our definite intention to go on to organizing these elections and this is running up against various obstacles of legal, institutional, political, security, technical and financial nature. I therefore am requesting a mobilization of the international community to provide technical support and financing for the elections in the CAR to enable that country quickly to once again find its place in the council of democratic nations."

The conflict that broke out between the mainly Muslim and Christian communities at the end of 2012 has forced thousands of people to flee their homes.

The UN recently took over the peace mission in the Central African Republic from the African Union to help the transitional process in the country.

SOURCE: Derrick Mbatha, United Nations