Hopes for peace as CentralAfricans vote

Voters in the Central African Republic cast their ballots Sunday in delayed legislative elections and a presidential run-off which they hope will bring peace after the country's worst sectarian violence since independence in 1960.

The nation, dogged by coups, violence and misrule since winning independence from France, could take a step towards rebirth if the polls and their aftermath go smoothly.

"It's crucial that people vote today," said Paterne, a voter in his 40s, as he queued at a polling station in the capital Bangui. "For the first time, we have a true opportunity to turn our backs on war."

The vote apparently passed off peacefully, with security tight as UN peacekeepers and French soldiers helped to patrol areas where tensions remain high.

The two men in the close presidential race are both former prime ministers who have campaigned on promises to restore security and boost the economy in the mineral-rich but dirt-poor country.

Anicet Georges Dologuele, a 58-year-old former central banker known as "Mr Clean" for his efforts to bring transparency to murky public finances, won the first round on December 30, taking 23.78% of the vote.

He faced Faustin Archange Touadera, a former maths professor, in the run-off. Also 58, Touadera was standing as an independent and surprised everyone by coming second in the first round with 19.4%.

Touadera's popularity stems from a measure he introduced as prime minister - paying government salaries directly into bank accounts, ending decades of pay arrears and unpaid wages.