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CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC
Assemblée nationale (National Assembly)

This page contains the full text of the PARLINE database entry on the selected parliamentary chamber, with the exception of Oversight and Specialized bodies modules which, because of their excessive length, can be only viewed and printed separately.

Modules:
GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE PARLIAMENTARY CHAMBER

Parliament name (generic / translated) Assemblée nationale / National Assembly
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Structure of parliament Unicameral
Affiliation to the IPU Yes
Affiliation date(s) 1962 - 1966
1988 - 1993
1994 - 1998
2002 - 2003
2017 -
LEADERSHIP
President Abdou Karim Meckassoua (M) 
Notes Elected on 6 May 2016.
Secretary General Eugénie Yarafa (F) 
Notes Appointed on 15 Jan. 2018.
COMPOSITION
Members (statutory / current number) 140 / 140
PERCENTAGE OF WOMEN


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Women (current number) 12 (8.57%)
Mode of designation directly elected 140
Term 5 years
Last renewal dates 14 February 2016
31 March 2016 (View details)
CONTACT INFORMATION
Address Assemblée nationale
P. O. Box 1003
BANGUI
(Export mailing lists)
Phone
Fax (236) 75 55 54 54
E-mail assemblee_nationalerca@yahoo.com
webmaster@assembleenationale-rca.cf
Website
http://www.assembleenationale-rca.cf

ELECTORAL SYSTEM

Parliament name (generic / translated) Assemblée nationale / National Assembly
Structure of parliament Unicameral
LEGAL FRAMEWORK
Electoral law 13 November 2013
(Loi nº 13-003) Last updated on 30 August 2015 (Decree)
Mode of designation directly elected 140
Constituencies 140 single-member constituencies.
Voting system Majority: Two-Round System
Voter requirements - Nationality of Central African Republic
- age: 18 years or over
- residence in constituency for 6 months or more
- citizens overseas who have been registered at the Embassy or Consulate in the host country for at least six months can vote

Disqualifications: conviction for crime; guardianship/ward
CANDIDATES
Eligibility - Nationality of the Central African Republic
- age: 25 years or over at the time of registration
- ineligibility: criminal conviction, undischarged bankruptcy, insanity, guardianship, imprisonment for certain offences, refusal to appear in court.
Incompatibilities - membership of government
- certain offices (prefect, sub-prefect, judge) held in the same constituency in the preceding two years
- officers of armed forces who have held a territorial command in the same constituency
Candidacy requirements - candidature must be submitted at least 25 days prior to elections.
- simultaneous submission of name of substitute is required.
- candidature can be submitted by political parties without restriction.
- mandatory deposit of 100,000 CFA francs per candidate.
- deposit is fully reimbursed if the candidate obtains at least 10 per cent of valid votes in the constituency concerned.
- half the deposit is reimbursed if the candidate obtains more than 5 per cent but less than 10 per cent of valid votes.

LAST ELECTIONS

Parliament name (generic / translated) Assemblée nationale / National Assembly
Structure of parliament Unicameral
BACKGROUND
Dates of election / renewal (from/to) (from/to)14 February 2016
31 March 2016
Timing and scope of renewal The elections were the first to be held since the March 2013 coup, which ousted President François Bozizé and dissolved the National Assembly. A National Transitional Council (CNT) was established in April 2013 to oversee a transitional period (twice extended) and to draft a new constitution, which was adopted by referendum on 13 December 2015.

The parliamentary and presidential elections initially took place on 30 December, but several candidates claimed that the elections were rigged. On 25 January, the Transitional Constitutional Court invalidated the first round of the parliamentary elections due to "many irregularities and the implication of candidates in these irregularities". Fresh parliamentary elections were held on 14 February 2016 in parallel with the run-off presidential elections. Delays in the announcement of the first round results meant that run-off parliamentary elections were held on 31 March, four days later than planned.

The 2016 elections returned a fragmented parliament. Independent candidates took 55 of the 140 seats in the new National Assembly. The National Union for Democracy and Progress (UNDP ), led by Mr. Michel Amine, became the largest single party, winning 13 seats. The Central African Union for Renewal (URCA) of former Prime Minister Anicet Georges Dologuele took 11 seats. Former President Bozizé led the National Convergence "Kwa Na Kwa" (KNK) which took seven seats.

In the presidential elections, Mr. Faustin Archange Touadera (independent) - the last prime minister under President Bozizé - defeated Mr Dologuele (URCA), who had won the most votes in the first round of voting on 30 December. On 30 March, Mr. Touadera was sworn in as the new President. He succeeded Acting President Catherine Samba-Panza, who had overseen the transitional period since January 2014, succeeding Acting President Michel Djotodia, who led the 2013 coup. The convening of the National Assembly on 6 May 2016 marked the end of the three-year long transitional period.
Date of previous elections: 23 January & 27 March 2011

Date of dissolution of the outgoing legislature: 26 March 2013*
*Dissolved by a coup.

Timing of election:Delayed elections

Expected date of next elections: February – March 2021

Number of seats at stake: 140 (full renewal)

Number of candidates: Not available.

Percentage of women candidates: Not available.

Number of parties contesting the election: Not available.

Number of parties winning seats: 17

Alternation of power: Not applicable*
*The first elections after the 2013 coup.

Date of the first session of the new parliament: 6 May 2016

Name of the new Speaker: Mr. Karim Meckassoua (independent)
STATISTICS
Voter turnout
Round no 1 (from/to)14 February 2016
31 March 2016
Number of registered electors
Voters
Blank or invalid ballot papers
Valid votes



Notes
Distribution of votes
Round no 1
Political group Candidates Votes % of votes
Independents
National Union for Democracy and Progress (UNDP)
Central African Union for Renewal (URCA)
Movement for the Liberation of the Central African People (MLPC)
Central African Democratic Rally (RDC)
National Convergence "Kwa Na Kwa" (KNK)
Rally for the Republic (RPR)
African Party for Radical Transformation and Integration of the states (PATRIE)
Party for Central African Renewal (PARC)
Party for the Democratic Governance (PDG)
Republican Convention for Social Progress (CRPS)
National Solidarity Movement (MNS)
Movement for Democracy and Development (MDD)
Socialist Party (PS)
Action Party for Development (PAD)
Party for Democracy and Solidarity - Kélémba (PDSK)
National Union of Central African Democrats (UNADER)
National Union Party (PUN)
Distribution of seats
Round no 1
Political Group Total of seats 1st round 2nd round 15 May 26 June & Bimbo 1
Independents 60 21 33 2 4
National Union for Democracy and Progress (UNDP) 16 5 8 1 2
Central African Union for Renewal (URCA) 11 3 8 0 0
Movement for the Liberation of the Central African People (MLPC) 10 3 6 0 1
Central African Democratic Rally (RDC) 8 2 5 0 1
National Convergence "Kwa Na Kwa" (KNK) 7 3 4 0 0
Rally for the Republic (RPR) 6 1 5 0 0
African Party for Radical Transformation and Integration of the states (PATRIE) 5 1 4 0 0
Party for Central African Renewal (PARC) 3 0 3 0 0
Party for the Democratic Governance (PDG) 3 2 1 0 0
Republican Convention for Social Progress (CRPS) 3 1 1 0 1
National Solidarity Movement (MNS) 2 0 2 0 0
Movement for Democracy and Development (MDD) 1 1 0 0 0
Socialist Party (PS) 1 1 0 0 0
Action Party for Development (PAD) 1 0 1 0 0
Party for Democracy and Solidarity - Kélémba (PDSK) 1 0 1 0 0
National Union of Central African Democrats (UNADER) 1 1 0 0 0
National Union Party (PUN) 1 0 1 0 0
Distribution of seats according to sex
Men

Women

Percent of women
129

11

7.86%
Distribution of seats according to age
Distribution of seats according to profession
Comments
Sources:
National Assembly (09.08.2016)
L'Autorité Nationale des Élections (11.05.2016, 14.06.2016, 15.01.2017)
http://anerca.org
Décision N 006/16/CCT du 14 mars 2016
Décision N 100/16/CCT du 23 avril 2016
Constitutional Court (22.08.2016, 23.08.2016, 28.12.2016)

Note on the rerun election of 15 May and 26 June 2016
- In all, 128 members, including 11 women, were elected to the 140-member National Assembly in two rounds of elections held on 14 February and 31 March 2016.
- Elections were rerun for the 12 remaining seats on 15 May and 26 June. No women were elected in the first round and no women candidates advanced to the run-offs.
- On 10 July, the Constitutional Court invalidated the results for first constituency in Bimbo and ordered a fresh election.
- Fresh elections in Bimbo were held on 23 October (1st round) and 4 December 2016 (2nd round). A male independent candidate was elected. The distribution of seats above includes the results of these elections, which brought the number of independent candidates elected from 59 to 60.

This page was last updated on 18 September 2018
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