Republic of Congo Holds Election Amid Nguesso Term
Polling stations opened at 6 am local time (0500 GMT) and will remain operational until 6 pm (1700 GMT). Over 2.6 million registered voters aged 18 and above are eligible to participate.
Nguesso first assumed power in 1979 but lost the 1992 election, subsequently going into exile in France. He returned in 1997 to reclaim authority through an armed uprising that ousted then-Prime Minister Pascal Lissouba.
Since then, he has maintained a dominant role in Congolese politics and is now seeking a fifth consecutive term, following previous victories in 2002, 2009, 2016, and 2021. His tenure was enabled by constitutional amendments in 2015 that reset term limits and eliminated the presidential age ceiling.
He is competing against six other candidates, including former lawmaker Mabio Mavoungou Zinga and seasoned legislator Joseph Kignoumbi Kia Mboungou, while two major opposition figures boycotted the election over claims of unfair practices.
Two notable challengers from the contested 2016 election, Jean-Marie Michel Mokoko and Andre Okombi Salissa, remain imprisoned with 20-year sentences for “endangering state security.”
A candidate securing an absolute majority will be declared the winner, while a runoff will be held between the top two candidates if no clear majority emerges.
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