CAR council elects Bangui mayor as interim president
Iran Press TV
Mon Jan 20, 2014 4:16PM GMT
Central African Republic's (CAR) National Transitional Council has elected the female mayor of the capital city as the country's interim president.
The CAR's transitional parliament voted Monday to select the mayor of Bangui, Catherine Samba-Panza, as the next interim leader to lead the country out of chaos and pave the way for elections later this year.
Samba-Panza defeated seven other candidates during a second-round runoff, gaining 75 votes to 53 for her rival Desire Kolingba, the son of former president Andre Kolingba.
A spokesperson for a major rebel group of anti-Balaka fighters said they were happy with the results of the election, welcoming the fact that a woman had been elected president for the first time.
She will succeed former pesident Michel Djotodia, who stepped down on January 10, under intense pressure over the government's failure to stem the deadly violence in last December, which left more than 1,000 people dead and nearly one million displaced.
The CAR spiraled into chaos after Christian militias launched coordinated attacks on the mostly Muslim Seleka group, who overthrew former President Francois Bozize, and brought Michel Djotodia to power in March 2013.
France invaded its former colony on December 5, 2013, after the UN Security Council adopted a resolution giving the African Union and France the go-ahead to send troops to the country.
European Union foreign ministers said Monday that it approved a military mission of up to 1,000 soldiers to the CAR, to back up approximately 1,600 French and 4,000 African soldiers already stationed in the violence-torn country.
GMA/AB
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