The Central African Republic holds key presidential and parliamentary elections today under tight security, hoping to finally usher in stability after nearly 50 years of coups, bloodshed and unrest.
The vote follows a referendum on constitutional change that was backed by 93 per cent of voters, reflecting the popular desire for a return to normal life.
Three men are tipped as front-runners in a race with 30 presidential candidates. All are experienced politicians who have held high-profile posts, and one comes from the small Muslim minority.
Violence has gripped the mineral-rich but dirt-poor country since long-serving president Francois Bozize was ousted in March 2013 by a mainly Muslim rebel alliance, the Seleka, which installed Michel Djotodia, the first Muslim head of state of a mostly Christian country.
Djotodia quit in January 2014 after disbanding the Seleka, but attacks on Christians by rogue Muslim forces led to brutal reprisals against Muslim districts by "anti-balaka" ("anti-machete") militias from Christian communities.
Thousands were slaughtered in a spiral of atrocities that drove about one in 10 of the population of 4.8 million to flee their homes, in a country that has been wracked by unrest since its 1960 independence from France.
Christians and Muslims alike came forward on a massive scale to ensure their names were on the electoral roll and to collect their voters' cards, many saying they never again wanted to hear gunfire or other manifestations of violence.
The vote, originally due to have been held on Sunday, was postponed by three days for logistical and security reasons.
Electoral officials had called for the 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.
Despite the presence of 11,000 UN and French peacekeepers, large chunks of the country remain out of bounds, either under the control of rebel chieftains or bandits.
At least 1,800 candidates are in the fray for a place in the 105-seat National Assembly, but by the weekend, the National Elections Authority (ANE) had not cleared a valid final roster for the parliamentary polls.
Two of the three men far ahead of the crowd in the presidential race were prime ministers under late president Ange-Felix Patasse: Anicet Georges Dologuele and Martin Ziguele, who are both Christian.
