[JURIST] The Central Africa Republic (CAR) constitutional court on Monday certified the results of the first round of the recent presidential vote, resulting in a runoff between two former prime ministers. The election results reported [AP report] that Anicet Georges Dologuele received about 24 percent of the vote, and Faustin Archange Touadere finished in second place with 19 percent. The runoff between the two former prime ministers was initially scheduled for January 31 but will now take place February 7. While the presidential election results have been confirmed, the court still has not finalized or addressed the election of the nation’s new parliament.

The CAR has experienced significant turmoil since President Francois Bozize [Britannica backgrounder] was ousted by the Seleka rebels in 2013. Last year the UN published a report [JURIST report] stating that the various acts of violence committed by both government and rebel forces in the CAR constituted war crimes and crimes against humanity but not genocide. Soon thereafter, the UN called for [JURIST report] the establishment of a war crimes tribunal in the CAR to try perpetrators of violence. The National Transition Council, the acting government of the CAR, created such a tribunal [JURIST report] in April. The National Transition Council then adopted the new constitution [JURIST report] in September.