Congo begins vote count as Sassou Nguesso seeks fifth term

Vote counting has begun in the Republic of Congo after polls closed in its presidential elections, as President Denis Sassou Nguesso seeks a fifth term, Africa News reported via AFP on March 16th.

Polling stations closed on the evening of March 15th after voting across the central African country. Electoral authorities began counting ballots shortly afterwards, with official results expected within two weeks.

Sassou Nguesso, 82, became president in 1979 and governed until 1992, when Congo introduced multiparty politics.

He returned to power after the 1997 Second Republic of Congo Civil War, which followed a disputed election and fighting between rival militias, and has remained in office since.

Nguesso benefited from a 2015 constitutional referendum that removed presidential age and term limits, allowing him to run for office in subsequent elections.

Congo is one of several African countries to abolish presidential age and term limits; primary examples include Cameroon, which removed restrictions in 2008, and Uganda, which did so in 2017.

He faced limited competition in this election, with two prominent opposition figures in prison while others remained in exile. Several opposition parties called for a boycott, saying the vote lacked credibility.

The election was marked by low voter turnout, with some citizens expressing scepticism that the vote would bring political change after more than four decades of Nguesso’s rule.

More than 3.2 million Congolese were registered to vote. However, according to Reuters, polling stations in the capital, Brazzaville, appeared quiet during the day, with short lines or no queues at some voting sites.

Internet access was also disrupted across the country during voting, according to the internet monitoring group NetBlocks, which said national connectivity had fallen to about 3% of normal levels

The vote takes place amid economic difficulties for the Republic of Congo, including high public debt and rising youth unemployment.

World Bank data shows that more than half of the country’s population lives below the poverty line, while nearly half the population is under 18.

The vote comes as several African countries hold elections this year amid wider discussions about governance and political reform across the region.

Africa News via AFP, Reuters, The World Bank, Maghrebi.org