BANGUI: The Central African Republic votes Wednesday in presidential polls, in which all leading candidates have vowed to reunite a nation torn and terrified by unprecedented sectarian strife.
Postponed several times due to violence and logistical problems, the first round of the polls was again delayed by three days from Sunday, partly because of reports of clashes in regions where armed gangs still hold sway.
The vote, which also includes legislative polls, follows a referendum on constitutional change that was backed by a resounding 93 percent of voters, widely seen as showing how much people long for peace and a return to normal life.
Three men are tipped as front-runners in a race with 30 candidates. All are experienced politicians who held high-profile posts in previous governments and one comes from the small Muslim minority population.
Djotodia quit in January 2014 after disbanding the Seleka.
Thousands were slaughtered in a spiral of atrocities that drove about one in 10 of the population of 4.8 million to flee the country.
Top electoral officials also urged a three-day delay because voting materials were not reaching isolated areas and some voters' cards had yet to be printed and handed out, while polling station staff needed last-minute training.
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