Title II. Of the State and Sovereignty
Article 19
The form of the State is a Republic.
The Central African State’s name is CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC.
The Central African Republic is a State of law, sovereign, indivisible, secular and democratic.
Its capital is BANGUI. It cannot be transferred other than by law, when the superior interest of the Nation requires it.
Its official languages are Sango and French.
Its emblem is the flag with five (5) bands of colours of which four (4) are horizontal bands of equal width of blue, white, green and yellow, perpendicularly crossed in the middle by a red band of equal width and struck in the upper left corner by a star with five (5) branches of the colour yellow.
Its motto is UNITY-DIGNITY-WORK
Its anthem is THE RENAISSANCE.
Its national holiday is set on December 1st, date on which the Republic was proclaimed.
Its currency is defined by law.
The State’s seals and the Republic’s coats of arms are defined by law.
Article 20
The Republic’s guiding principle is “THE GOVERNMENT OF THE PEOPLE BY THE PEOPLE AND FOR THE PEOPLE”.
National sovereignty belongs to the people who exercise it through referendum or through their representatives.
No fraction of the people nor any individual can seize its exercise or alienate it.
Usurpation of sovereignty by coup d’état or through any other means constitutes an imprescriptible crime against the Central African people. Any individual or third person who carries out such acts shall be considered as having declared war on the Central African people.
All Central Africans of both (2) sexes, aged eighteen (18) years old or more who enjoy their civil rights, are voters within the conditions prescribed by law.
Every citizen has the right to vote.
Suffrage can be direct or indirect within the conditions prescribed by law. It is always universal, equal and secret.
Article 21
Political parties or groups contribute to the expression of universal suffrage, to the political, economic and social life, to the monitoring of their elected members and to the shaping of their members’ citizenship.
It is forbidden for them to identify with a race, ethnic group, sex, religion, sect, language, region or armed group.
They are formed and exercise their activities freely. They are under the obligation to respect the principle of democracy, of unity and of national sovereignty, of Human Rights, of secularity and of the republican system of the State, in accordance with the laws and regulations in force.
The conditions of their formation, functioning, financing and dissolution are determined by the texts in force.
