20110121
allAfrica.com

The five candidates contesting the Central African Republic’s elections on Sunday are putting the final touches to their campaigns.

Radio France Internationale reports that the incumbent, President François Bozizé – who is vying for a second term in office – faces stiff challenges from the other candidates.

Among them is Ange-Félix Patassé, a former president who has accused Bozizé of foul play.

RFI said Patassé’s plans to hold a rally in a 20,000-seat stadium were thwarted when the stadium manager cancelled the booking. Patassé accused the manager of taking orders from Bozizé and said the denial of the venue contravenes the country’s electoral laws. But Bozizé's camp vehemently denied the allegation.

DFID / Simon Davis

Despite an abundance of diamonds and timber, landlocked CAR is one of the poorest states in Africa.

The incumbent’s supporters believe their candidate will win the presidential election in the first round.

The same optimism is shared in the camp of the former prime minister, Martin Ziguélé, adds RFI.

A parliamentary candidate in Ziguélé’s party, Thierry Sama, is convinced his leader’s message has been well received in the rural areas. The country no longer exports coffee or tobacco, he said, but their party was planning to change that.

The campaign closes officially at midnight on Friday.