The postponement was largely expected by the ruling party, the opposition, the United Nations and the European Union following the delay in preparations for the ballot in this dirt poor African nation, according to a presidential decree read out on national radio.

Bozize, in power since he ousted President Ange-Felix Patasse in 2003, has announced he will run for re-election.

Patasse, who returned from exile last year, and his former Prime Minister Martin Ziguele are among those who have also declared their interest in running.

After its 1960 independence from France, the country was wracked by three tumultuous decades of misrule, mostly by military governments, until civilian rule was established in 1993 and lasted for one decade when Patasse was ousted.