US closely following deliberations of transitional council in central African republic

The United States is "closely following" the deliberations of the Central African Republic's Transitional National Council as it works to select a new president and prime minister, U.S. State Department deputy spokeswoman Marie Harf said on Wednesday. "We urge that the selection process be transparent, include a full range of political, religious and civil society representatives, and be consistent with provisions of the Transitional Charter and the Libreville Agreements, which call for the prime minister to come from the democratic opposition," Harf said in a statement released by the department. "The Council has an historic opportunity to put the country on a path toward stability, democracy and development, and we encourage the Council to seize this opportunity by selecting leaders of integrity who can restore stability to the Central African Republic (CAR), prepare for credible elections as soon as possible, but no later than February 2015, and earn the confidence of the international community," she said. The United States commends the leadership of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) in facilitating the political transition process in the CAR and remains "deeply committed" to working with ECCAS, the African Union, the United Nations and representatives of civil society to support the political transition process, she said.