ABSTRACT
Meaningful political reform in the Central African Republic (CAR), a potentially rich, landlocked country at the heart of the continent, is probably not possible at present. Economic and social development as well as long-term political stability in the CAR requires social and political structures very different from those that have evolved in the country thus far. Little headway has been made in the CAR since independence in overcoming French preponderance and cultural conditioning. Genuine pluralism remains a fragile flower in the CAR. Ange-Felix Patasse, the first democratically elected president of the CAR, has failed to deliver on promises of a clear-sighted, efficient government. He has yet to secure a permanent return of public services to normality and to create durable political stability. The new constitution, drafted in August 1994, provides for the creation of new regional authorities and decentralization, both long-standing items on Patasse's personal political agenda.
