UN mission hails 'smooth running' of elections in CAR

YAOUNDE, Cameroon

The UN peacekeeping mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) on Wednesday welcomed the “smooth running” of recent legislative elections in the war-torn country.

MINUSCA played its role in the implementation of the integrated plan to secure elections and all the resources and reserves of the mission's forces were mobilized to support the government in securing ballots, according to spokesman Vladimir Monteiro.

The second round of voting in legislative elections was held under heightened security on March 14. The first round on Dec. 27 was disrupted by violence and allegations of irregularities, leaving 118 out of 140 seats up for grabs in the National Assembly.

The vote was held as the UN Security Council gave the nod for the additional deployment of nearly 3,700 military and police to its peacekeeping force in the country.

"The coordination between MINUSCA and the FACA [Central African Armed Forces] and Internal Security Forces (FSI) in the execution of the tasks ... contributed to the smooth running of the recent elections,” said Lieut.-Col Abdoul-Aziz Fall, spokesman for MNSUCA’s forces.

In addition to the security component, MINUSCA said it provided operational and logistical support to the government and to the National Elections Authority.

“Between February 26 and March 13, 72 flights were organized for the deployment of equipment, ahead of the ballot, from Bangui to the 16 administrative centers of prefectures. Similarly, between March 15 and 18, MINUSCA transported, by means of 19 flights, almost all of the reports and results sheets from the prefectures, with the exception of a few reports transported by road, in particular, those of the Kemo and some of the Ombella-Mpoko,” Monteiro said.

MINUSCA stressed the need to continue the electoral process in the country, including local elections in November and it reaffirmed its support for the entire process.