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Congo
At stake: President
Background
The Republic of Congo—not to be confused with the Democratic Republic of the Congo—has been ruled by a dictatorial regime for the past 12 years.
The country gained its independence from France on Jul. 15, 1960. Years of political unrest and violence have diminished the Congolese people’s opportunities to enjoy their rich natural resources such as oil. The Republic of Congo was once one of Africa’s largest providers of crude, but reserves are scarce nowadays.
Congo’s first president was Fulbert Youlou. Alphonse Massamba-Débat, a Marxist-leaning leader, replaced Youlou in 1963 after a short revolt forced him to resign. A socialist model was implemented in the country. Agriculture and industrialization were widely promoted by the state.
In 1968, army commander Marien Ngouabi took power by force and founded a new Marxist-Leninist party, the Congolese Workers Party (PCT). Ngouabi was killed in 1977 amidst growing opposition to his practices and policies against the opposition.
Joachim Yhombi-Opango, the army chief of staff, took over as Congo’s president. Yhombi-Opango resigned on Feb. 4, 1979 amidst allegations of corruption, and was replaced by Colonel Denis Sassou-Nguesso.
Under Sassou-Nguesso, Congo maintained a neutral approach to international affairs, and the country enjoyed of harmonious relations with both the Soviet Union and its former colony. The president was re-elected in 1989.
In July 1990 the leaders of the ruling party voted to end the one-party system. A national political conference, hailed as a model for sub-Saharan Africa, renounced Marxism in 1991.
Pascal Lissouba won the first democratic presidential election in 1992. A year later, political and ethnic tensions intensified after the opposition rejected the legislative election’s results. The situation turned violent. A ceasefire was agreed upon in 1994.
In 1997, a four-month long civil war broke out in Congo. Brazzaville, the nation’s capital, was practically destroyed during the fighting. Former president Sassou-Nguesso, backed by Angolan troops, claimed control of Brazzaville and forced head of state Lissouba out of power. Elections scheduled to take place that year were cancelled.
In 1999, a new ceasefire was signed. Sassou-Nguesso was elected to a seven-year term in the presidency with 89.4 per cent of the vote. His opponents were either barred from the country or withdrew from the election.
Sassou-Nguesso suspended the 1992 constitution, which had established a political system for Congo based on the French model. A new charter was adopted in 2002. The new system included a seven-year term for the president, and the installation of a bicameral national parliament.
In 2002 and 2003, violence continued in the southern region of Congo, where to this day some parts are controlled by anti-government militias. Sassou-Nguesso earned a new term in the 2002 election.
The Congolese population of 3.7 million is noticeably young, highly affected by HIV/AIDS, and mainly poor. The median age is calculated at 16 years. According to the latest estimates, about 4.9 per cent of the population is HIV positive. Life expectancy rates are low—mostly due to HIV/AIDS—at 52.8 years.
In January 2005, PCT member Isidore Mvouba became prime minister.
The economy is heavily dependant on oil, agriculture and handicrafts, and the country’s debt is considered too high. In March 2006, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) authorized applying the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) treatment for Congo.
The government scheduled a legislative election for June and July 2007. The cabinet also agreed to amend the electoral code and create an independent voting commission, answering to a demand by opposition parties.
The ballot was deemed largely free of intimidation and fraud, but also inefficient and disorganized.
Official results released in August gave the PCT 44 of the 135 decided seats. The opposition Pan-African Union for Social Democracy (UPADS) managed to win 10 seats. In all, the PCT—assisted by other parties and independents—can count on the support of 124 legislators.
UPADS complained of manipulation, corruption, and fraud in the election process. African Union (AU) observers criticized some organizational aspects and recommended the establishment of an independent electoral commission in the future, but stopped short of declaring the election a failure.
Click Here for Congo’s 2007 National Assembly Election Tracker
President Sassou-Nguesso was elected chairman of the AU in January 2006. In January 2007, a French court ordered to re-open an investigation into the alleged participation of Sassou-Nguesso’s administration in the disappearance of more than 300 Congolese refugees. The case involves government officials in the alleged torture and killing of 353 refugees who had returned to the capital Brazzaville in 1999 after the civil war.
An official government response called the French court decision on this matter a "grave affront to the sovereignty of our state."
In 2005, 15 suspects, including army generals, were acquitted of charges of genocide, crimes against humanity and other offences relating to this massacre by a Congolese tribunal.
2009 Presidential Election
According to the 2002 constitution, a presidential election must take place in 2009. The government has scheduled this ballot for Jul. 12. Incumbent Denis Sassou-Nguesso of the Congolese Party of Labour (PCT) has been in office for a total of 25 years, the last 12 consecutively. He took power by force both in 1979 and in 1997.
On Jun. 6, Sassou-Nguesso announced he will run for re-election, saying, "Before the people gathered here, before the nation, we say that we have listened to our people, we have listened to our inner voice and we have decided to declare our candidacy for the presidential election of July 2009." The president said he would launch his official campaign on Jun. 26.
Amongst Sassou-Nguesso’s rivals are former finance minister Mathias Dzon of the Alliance for the Republic and Democracy (ARD), Ange Edouard Poungi of the Pan-African Union for Social Democracy (UPADS), former president Joachim Yhombi-Opango, former president Bernard Kolélas, Charles David Ganao of the Union of Democratic Forces (UFD), and polyvalent scholar Théophile Obenga.
On Jun. 11, the leader of the country’s main opposition alliance also announced his presidential candidacy. An official statement by the Union for Democracy and the Republic (UDR-Mwinda) read: "Our party has given a plebiscite to the candidacy of Guy-Romain Kimfoussia in the presidential election." Kimfoussia also leads the United Front of Opposition Parties, which includes parties that are expected to nominate their own candidates.
Kimfoussia called for "a free, fair and peaceable poll" and warned that "our participation is contingent on having a reliable electoral roll" and setting up an impartial electoral commission.
On Jun. 12, Antoine Evoundou, director general of electoral affairs, said that 17 candidates have registered for the election.
Just days before the ballot, six of the 12 candidates challenging Sassou-Nguesso called for a boycott, saying that there were no guarantees that the vote would be free and fair.
Voting took place on Jul. 12. A joint statement by the monitoring team of the African Union (AU) and the Economic Community of Central African States read: “The electoral campaign took place in a calm and serene atmosphere.” However, the non-governmental Congolese Observatory of Human Rights claimed the ballot was marred by “fraud and irregularities.”
Preliminary results were expected on Jul. 14, but Congolese territorial administration minister Raymond Mboulou revealed that “some polling stations have not transmitted all their results, they sent us digests.”
On the day of the election, a joint statement by the opposition said that “90 per cent” of the 2.2 million registered voters did not cast a ballot. Government spokesman Alain Akouala Atipault called the opposition’s claims “preposterous, inexact and incoherent”. The electoral authority has not revealed the official turnout figure yet.
Both the government and African Union (AU) observers described the election as free and fair.
On Jul. 14, AU and Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) observers called on all the candidates to accept the preliminary results pointing at Sassou-Nguesso’s victory. Both groups called the polls “free and fair.”
However, a statement from the Congolese Observatory for Human Rights (OCDH) declared: “Given the low participation rate, irregularities and frauds that attended the presidential polls, they were neither free nor fair.”
Final results released by the National Electoral Commission (CONEL) on Jul. 15 showed the incumbent winning re-election with 78.6 per cent of the total votes. Independent candidate Joseph Kignoumbi Kia Mboungou came a distant second with 7.5 per cent, followed by Nicéphore Antoine Fylla de Saint-Eudes of the Republican and Liberal Party with 7.0 per cent.
Turnout was tabled at 66.42 per cent.
Close to 2,000 opposition supporters came out for street protests after the results were announced.
BBC reporter Thomas Fessy said that “It was a peaceful protest”, but “police stormed the demonstrators and scattered them with tear gas. They ran after the demonstrators.”
On Jul. 17, ARD candidate Dzon filed a formal request at the Constitutional Court asking for the ballot results to be annulled. Though Dzon was supposedly one of the main contenders in this election, he only got 2.3 per cent of the vote. Dzon was amongst the candidates calling for an election boycott.
On Jul. 25, the Constitutional Court confirmed the electoral results.
Political Players
President: Denis Sassou-Nguesso - PCT
Prime minister: Isidore Mvouba - PCT
Legislative Branch: The Parliament of the Republic of Congo (Parlement) has two chambers. The National Assembly (Assemblée Nationale) has 137 members, elected to five-year terms in single-seat constituencies. The Senate (Sénat) has 66 members, elected to six-year term by district, local and regional councils.
Results of Last Election:
President - Jul. 12, 2009
|
Vote% |
|
|
Denis Sassou-Nguesso - Congolese Labour Party |
78.6% |
|
Joseph Kignoumbi Kia Mboungou - Independent |
7.5% |
|
Nicéphore Antoine Fylla de Saint-Eudes - Republican and Liberal Party |
7.0% |
|
Mathias Dzon - Alliance for the Republic and Democracy |
2.3% |
|
Joseph Hondjouila Miokono - Independent |
2.0% |
|
Guy Romain Kinfoussia - Independent |
0.9% |
|
Jean François Tchibinda-Kouangou - Independent |
0.4% |
|
Anguios Nganguia-Engambé - Independent |
0.3% |
|
Ernest Bonaventure Mizidi Bavoueza - Independent |
0.3% |
|
Clément Mierassa - Independent |
0.3% |
|
Bertin Pandi-Ngouari - Independent |
0.2% |
|
Marion Michel Mandzimba Ehouango - Independent |
0.2% |
|
Jean Ebina - Independent |
0.1% |
National Assembly - Jun. 24, Jul. 8, Jul. 15 and Aug. 5, 2007
|
Seats |
|
|
Congolese Party of Labour (PCT) |
44 |
|
Other parties and candidates allied to PCT |
52 |
|
Congolese Movement for Democracy |
12 |
|
Pan-African Union for Social Democracy (UPADS) |
10 |
|
Action Movement for Renewal (MAR) |
3 |
|
Patriotic Union for Democracy and Progress (UPDP) |
2 |
|
Movement for Solidarity (MSD) |
1 |
|
Club 2002 PUR |
1 |
|
To Act for Congo |
1 |
|
Union for Democracy and Republic (UDR) |
1 |
|
Independents |
8 |
|
To be decided at a later date |
2 |