former prime minister Jean-Paul Ngoupande and former minister Charles Massi -- promised to support Bozize in a deal signed in Bangui on Thursday. They agreed to "coordinate their strategy and means to ensure the final victory" for the president. Ngoupande won 5 percent on March 13, while Massi took just over 3 percent. "To reach their objectives, the parties to this accord commit to support the candidacy of ... Francois Bozize in the second round," the deal said. The vast central African nation of 3.9 million people, which stretches from rainforests in the southwest to savannahs in the north, has endured long periods of dictatorship and a slew of coups since independence from France in 1960. The opposition has accused Bozize's camp of buying voting cards and using the security forces to intimidate rivals. Campaigning for the second round begins on Saturday. ---SP 0056 Local Time 2156 GMT
