C. Africa votes to heal nation torn by sectarian bloodshed

The Central African Republic holds key presidential and parliamentary elections on Wednesday under tight security, hoping to finally usher in stability after nearly 50 years of coups, bloodshed and unrest.

The vote follows a referendum on constitutional change that was backed by 93 percent of voters, reflecting the popular desire for a return to normal life.

Three men are tipped as front-runners in a race with 30 presidential candidates. All are experienced politicians who have held high-profile posts, and one comes from the small Muslim minority.

Violence has gripped the mineral-rich but dirt-poor country since long-serving president Francois Bozize was ousted in March 2013 by a mainly Muslim rebel alliance, the Seleka, which installed Michel Djotodia, the first Muslim head of state of a mostly Christian country.

Djotodia quit in January 2014 after disbanding the Seleka, but attacks on Christians by rogue Muslim forces led to brutal reprisals against Muslim districts by "anti-balaka" ("anti-machete") militias from Christian communities.

Thousands were slaughtered in a spiral of atrocities that drove about one in 10 of the population of 4.8 million to flee their homes, in a country that has been wracked by unrest since its 1960 independence from France.

Christians and Muslims alike came forward on a massive scale to ensure their names were on the electoral roll and to collect their voters' cards, many saying they never again wanted to hear gunfire or other manifestations of violence.

The vote, originally due to have been held on Sunday, was postponed by three days for logistical and security reasons.

Electoral officials had called for the delay because voting materials were not reaching isolated areas and some voters' cards had yet to be printed and handed out, while polling station staff needed last-minute training.

Despite the presence of 11,000 UN and French peacekeepers, large chunks of the country remain out of bounds, either under the control of rebel chieftains or bandits.

- Cash and T-shirts -

At least 1,800 candidates are in the fray for a place in the 105-seat National Assembly, but by the weekend, the National Elections Authority (ANE) had not cleared a valid final roster for the parliamentary polls.

Two of the three men far ahead of the crowd in the presidential race were prime ministers under late president Ange-Felix Patasse: Anicet Georges Dologuele and Martin Ziguele, who are both Christian.

The third, Abdoul Karim Meckassoua, is a Muslim with a serious chance in the race. He served Bozize from 2003-13 in succesive posts, including as foreign minister.

Up to the end of campaigning late Monday, candidates were handing out cash and T-shirts in Bangui and in remote provinces for those who could afford to use aircraft instead of gutted roads.

The three previous presidents are barred from standing again: former Bangui mayor Catherine Samba Panza, who has overseen a political transition, as well as Bozize and Djotodia.

Bozize and Djotodia are both in exile and both face UN and US sanctions stemming from violence. The latter stepped down under strong foreign pressure after failing to rein in forces that led to fears of genocide along religious fault lines.

The Central African Republic's own security forces -- the army, the police and the paramilitary gendarmerie -- have begun to patrol areas where tension remains high between ex-Seleka and anti-balaka elements.

These national troops are also going into the flashpoint PK-5 Muslim enclave in Bangui, where ex-Seleka hardliners killed five people for wanting to vote on referendum day.

France's Operation Sangaris has deployed troops in Bossangoa, Bozize's former stronghold in the west, and at Kaga Bandoro, a strategic town where ex-Seleka forces remain strong.

The outcome of the referendum was announced eight days after the vote, but the National Elections Authority is likely to need more time before it can release the results of the presidential and legislative polls given the huge number of candidates.

Observers anticipate that a second round will prove necessary in the presidential race and expect it to be held by the end of January.