Opposition cries foul as Congo goes to polls

Congo voters went to polls yesterday in the legislative elections in the oil-rich African country, the first since violencemarred presidential polls last year which returned Denis Sassou Nguesso to power.

While no fresh violence is expected opposition parties have cried foul, as more than 2 million voters are expected to cast their ballots in the first round of polling in Congo-Brazzaville to elect National Assembly members as well as local councils.

Sassou Nguesso returned to office in March 2016 after a constitutional referendum ended a two-term presidential term limit, amid deadly violence notably in the Pool region neighbouring the capital Brazzaville.

The 73-year-old president’s ruling Congolese Labour Party (PCT) is running 128 candidates for the 151 seats available, while several independent candidates have close ties to the party.

Opposition leaders held

The main parliamentary opposition group, the PanAfrican Union for Social Democracy (UPADS), has put forward 43 candidates, compared to 31 run by the UDH-Yuki group of GuyBrice Parfait Kolelas, who came second in the presidentials last year.

But an opposition coalition comprising the IDC, the FROCAD and the CJ3M has said it will only take part under certain circumstances, including “the end of the crisis in Pool and the release of all political prisoners”.

Two leaders of the coalition, Jean-Marie Michel Mokoko and Andre Okombi Salissa, were arrested and jailed in June 2016 and in January “for threatening the internal security of the state”. However, the head of the Independent National Election Commission (CNEI), Henri Bouka, insisted voting will be held nationwide. “Campaigning has been normal,” Django Cissoko, head of a 50-strong observer mission.