CAR: Former prime minister wins presidential poll

BANGUI, Central African Republic

Faustin-Archange Touadera, a former prime minister has won the Central African Republic’s presidential election.

Touadera, won 62.71 percent according to the National Elections Authority (ANE).

Anicet-Georges Dologuele -- also a former premier secured 37.29 percent of the runoff vote held on Feb. 14; the first round of the election took place on Dec. 30.

The country's Constitutional Court is expected to validate the result early next month.

Touadera served as premier between 2008 and 2013 during the rule of exiled former president Francois Bozize.

The election had been expected to end the transitional government put in place in 2013 when Muslim Seleka rebels ousted Bozize, a Christian who came to power in a 2003 coup.

Rebels then installed Michel Djotodia, a Muslim, as interim president.

Djotodia stepped down in early 2014 to be replaced by Catherine Samba-Panza -- a Christian -- amid a wave of sectarian violence between the two communities.

Elections in the war-torn Central African state had been delayed several times due to the transitional government’s inability to safeguard the vote.

More than 500,000 fled their homes due to the conflict to seek refuge in neighboring Cameroon and Chad.