But the enthusiasm of people to try to turn the page on years of instability was undimmed.
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Later in his speech, Trump remarked that “the last thing [Clinton] wants in her whole life” is to face him in a general election. Clinton’s public comments came as President Obama was in a re-election campaign making claims al-Qaida was “on the run”.
“I vote because I’m patriotic”. Thierry Vircoulon, a Central Africa expert who lectures at the Paris School of International Affairs, said via email.
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In the face of criticism, President Park Geun Hye has launched an all-out campaign to win public support for the deal. China took a different tack, with state media slamming Japan’s long-awaited mea culpa as insincere and insufficient.
His sentiments were echoed by Philippe Bodo, who voted across town in the second arrondissement, or district. “We are always told of pressure from France, but it’s the same country that brought us this calamity”, another candidate, Emile Yando, added. “But this time the will of the people must not be hijacked”, he said.
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Samoa was the first nation to see in 2016, with New Zealand the first nation with a sizeable population to celebrate the New Year. New York: Around 1 million people were expected to converge on New York City’s Times Square for the annual celebration.
Some of the challenges that were noted included shortage of ballot papers for legislative elections, the lack of voting booths and absence of voters’ registers.
Long lines of voters were observed in the capital, Bangui, and in other communities.
More than 1.8 million people are expected to vote at more than 500 polling stations across the country.
“Honestly, we have performed a miracle in a country at war”, said Minusca military chief Balla Keita, a general from Senegal.
– September 2014: United Nations replaces African force On September 15, a new United Nations mission known as MINUSCA takes up the baton from the African MISCA force, which was backed by French and European troops.
The CAR has been convulsed by turmoil since 2013, when Christian anti-balaka militiamen launched coordinated attacks against the mostly Muslim Seleka group, which had toppled the government in March that year. Many lives were lost in the ethnic and religion-based violence that forced many citizens to flee their homes to safer areas and to neighboring countries. Thousands were killed and sectarian violence has continued, displacing almost 1 million people.
Leading presidential candidates include former prime ministers Anicet-Georges Dologuele and Martin Ziguele, who received a boost on Tuesday when anti-balaka militias who have formed the Central African Party of Unity and Development said they would support his candidacy. He served Bozize from 2003-13 in successive posts, including as foreign minister. A man casts his ballot during elections in Bangui, Central African Republic, Wednesday, Dec. 30, 2015.
Ziguele called the election a chance “to take back control of our country’s destiny”.
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From early morning on Wednesday, hundreds of voters were seen queuing in front of polling stations in Bangui, with the hope of electing a new president who will help them forget this sad chapter in their country’s history which gave way for a delicate transition that is today led by Catherine Samba-Panza, following the 2014 ouster of Seleka leader Michel Djotodia.
