Central African Republic moves vote to Dec. 27 in bid to still hold election by end of year

BANGUI, Central African Republic – Authorities in Central African Republic say the first round of voting in a long anticipated election now will take place two weeks later than initially planned.

Election officials announced Monday that the vote previously scheduled for Dec. 13 will now take place on Dec. 27.

The country is under pressure to hold elections by the end of the year. President Catherine Samba-Panza's administration was tasked with organizing elections after a rebel leader who had seized power stepped down in early 2014 under mounting international pressure.

Critics, though, question how a credible poll can be held in Central African Republic when tens of thousands of would-be voters remain in refugee camps in neighboring Cameroon and Chad. The lack of security is rampant not only in rural areas but in the capital.