Central African Republic President Faustin-Archange Touadéra won an absolute majority in the first round of the presidential election, according to provisional results announced late Monday night by the National Elections Authority (ANE), the Central African Republic's electoral body. Mr. Touadéra, the candidate of the United Hearts Movement (MCU), obtained 76.15% of the votes cast, followed by former Prime Minister Anicet-Georges Dologuélé (14.66%) and former Prime Minister Henri-Marie Dondra (3.19%), according to the ANE.

ANE President Mathias Barthélemy Morouba announced that Mr. Touadéra had been "provisionally elected" President of the Central African Republic. Approximately 2.3 million voters were registered, with a turnout of 52.42%, he stated during the announcement of the results. "Thank you to the people of the Central African Republic (...) this is the result of your determination," read the official campaign platform of Mr. Touadéra on social media shortly after the results were announced. The provisional results will be sent to the Constitutional Court, which will examine any appeals before proclaiming the final results by January 20. Mr. Touadéra, 68, served as Prime Minister (2008-2013) before being elected President of the Republic in 2016 and re-elected in 2021.