20110123
xinhua

The Central African Republic started the presidential and legislative elections on Sunday

The polling stations opened at 6 a.m. local time amid tightened security with the deployment of soldiers and police in the capital Bangui, where concentrate 1 million people of the country's total population of 4.5 million.

There are 1,200 international observers to monitor the election process.

The presidential election involves incumbent President Francois Bozize, ex-president Ange-Felix Patasse who is an independent candidate, ex-prime minister Martin Ziguele of the Movement for the Liberation of Central African People (MLPC), ex-head of rebels Jean Jacques Demafouth of the People's Army for the Restoration of Democracy (APRD) and Gros Raymond Nakombo of the New Progressive Alliance (ANP).

A total of 868 politicians are running for the 105 seats in the National Assembly (parliament).

According to the presidential decree issued last week, there are 4,370 polling stations across the country and 1.8 million eligible voters registered to cast ballots.

Out of the five presidential candidates, Bozize, Patasse and Ziguele are as the main contenders in the race. The three men all came from the densely populated north.

There is already an early euphoria at the camp of Bozize, who has ruled the country for the past five years and is credited for the national dialogue leading to the current elections.

His supporters hold confidence in his re-election.

"There are five candidates. There are three heavyweights: the outgoing president, Patasse and Ziguele. But the president candidate will win in the first round with more than 60 percent. He has restored peace. The economy has even taken a stride. Instead of the 172nd, the country is now the 159th in the index of the human development," said Mathieu Ganinga, an accountant in Bangui.

At the helm of the country since March 2003 following a coup, Bozize was elected in May 2005 for a term which ended on June 11, 2010 but had to extend his mandate after approval by the National Assembly.

At that time, he was only facing one candidate, Patasse, whom he overthrew from power.

Patasse who had gone into self-exile in Togo, returned to the Central African Republic in December 2008 after an inclusive political dialogue brokered by Gabon. The dialogue was widely hailed as the key to a transitional government in the run-up to the elections to end years of instability.

The Central African Republic is a landlocked country, bordering Chad in the north, Sudan in the east, the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Republic of Congo in the south and Cameroon in the west.

The country has witnessed a series of coups and revolts since its independence from France in 1960. Despite its rich resources of timber, gold, diamond and uranium, the country remains one of the poorest in the world as a result of instability.