"President of the Central African Republic Faustin-Archange Touadera called his fellow citizens to 'fulfil their civic duty' by actively voting in the ongoing presidential and legislative election as he arrived at the polling station in Bangui on Sunday. "We all need to be mobilised. This is one of those moments when our law truly gives us the strength to choose our leaders. And it's an opportunity we've been given. We need everyone to do their homework so that our country can develop and regain peace and security," he said. Footage shows President Touadera casting ballots at the local polling station of the republican capital amid a heavy security presence. CAR holds local elections for the first time in nearly 40 years after a long period of political conflict, including a civil war between the Seleka rebel movement and Anti-balaka groups, displacing one million people. The current vote could allow Touadera to extend his rule beyond two terms. It is widely regarded as the most complex election in the country's history, as voters are casting ballots for four different levels of government simultaneously, including presidential, legislative, regional, and municipal. Touadera, who made headlines by adopting Bitcoin as a legal tender in 2022, pushed through a referendum in 2023 to abolish the two-term limit and extend presidential mandates from five to seven years. Significant delays in confirming two major challengers have led some opposition groups to boycott the election, labelling it a 'sham.' Out of seven candidates, the most prominent opponents are ex-PM Anicet-Georges Dologuele and Henri-Marie Dondra. The polling stations are expected to close at 18:00 local time (17:00 GMT). If no candidate secures more than 50 per cent of the vote, the runoff will be scheduled for the top two finishers."