Central African Republic to vote in second round of presidential elections

Voters in the Central African Republic are going to the polls for the second round of presidential elections, according to international reports.

The vote comes after the seizure of power by a mainly Muslim Seleka rebel group in 2013 toppled President Francois Bozize, which led to prolonged bloodshed, and it is being seen as a significant step towards restoring peace, stability and democratic government.

The country was left impoverished and split along religious lines, and two former prime ministers, Faustin-Archange Touadera and Anicet-Georges Dologuele, are contesting the presidential runoff on Sunday while authorities attempt to re-run a first round of parliamentary polls which were cancelled over irregularities, Al Jazeera reports.

Thousands have died in the fighting and roughly a fifth of the population is thought to have been displaced.

The BBC reports that both presidential candidates, former prime ministers Faustin Touadera and Anicet Dologuele, have pledged to restore security and boost the economy of the country.

Dologuele served under President Ange-Felix Patasse between 1999 and 2001, and Touadera was prime minister under President Francois Bozize between 2008 and 2013.

Christian militias responded to Seleka abuses, with attacks carried out against the Muslim minority community, while the north-east of the country is now mostly under the control of Muslim rebels while Christian militias hold sway of the south-west.

Dologuele has promised voters a break from the country's recent violent past, with the campaign slogan reading "united we will win", while Touadera is portrayed by supporters as a peacemaker who can bridge the Christian-Muslim divide.