BRAZZAVILLE, REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO — Vote counting began on Sunday after elections in the Republic of Congo, where President Denis Sassou N’Gesso is seeking a fifth consecutive term. Results are expected in two weeks.
The elections were marked by low turnout as locals said they did not believe the election would produce results under the leadership of Sassou N’Gesso, who has ruled for 42 years. The opposition parties called for an election boycott.
Six other candidates challenged the 82-year-old for the top job in the central African country, which has one of the largest oil reserves in sub-Saharan Africa. But analysts say none of them can mount a significant challenge against the incumbents.
As usual during presidential elections, the internet was shut down across the country and traffic was restricted across the capital.
“Everyone knows that President Denis Sassou-Nguesso, who faced his six inexperienced opponents, will be re-elected with the highest score as usual. The election is not a big issue, we should not cut off communication,” said Clarice Massamba, a teacher who voted at Lycée Jaouville.
The campaign period has shown an extraordinary mismatch between Sassou N’Gesso and his opponents, with the incumbent being the only candidate traveling across the country to campaign for votes. The streets in the capital Brazzaville are lined with statues of Sassou N’Gesso.
The other two major parties boycotted the election alleging unfair electoral practices.
Sassou N’Gesso, running for the Congolese Party of Labour, first came to power in 1979 and ruled until 1992 when he organized the country’s first multi-party elections. He returned to power as a military leader in 1997 after a four-month civil war.
A constitutional referendum in 2015 removed presidential age and term limits, allowing him to run again.
The country is struggling with high international debt, which according to the World Bank is 94.5% of its gross domestic product, and soaring youth unemployment rates. More than half of the country’s 5.7 million people live in poverty, and 47% of the country’s population is under the age of 18.
The election is the latest in a trend of octogenarian African leaders clinging to power. Sassou N’Gesso is the third longest-serving African president behind Cameroon’s Paul Biya and Equatorial Guinea’s Teodoro Obiang Nguma Mbasogo.
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This story has been corrected to spell Sassou N’Gesso’s first name as Denise, not Dennis.
(tags to translate) Referendums
