Denis Sassou-N’Guesso has been reelected president of the Republic of Congo for a fifth consecutive term, with authorities announcing provisional results on Tuesday that extend his decades-long time in office. Interior Minister Raymond Zephirin Mboulou said on state television that Sassou-N’Guesso received 94.82% of the vote, while six other candidates challenged for the top post, according to the provisional count.
The turnout reported by the interior minister was 84.65%, with 2.6 million ballots cast. In Brazzaville, the capital, residents told reporters that many polling stations had short or non-existent lines, saying they did not believe the election would bring a change in leadership from Sassou-N’Guesso, who has ruled for 42 years.
In the provisional results, Mabio Mavoungou Zinga of the Alliance party finished second with 1.48% of the vote, and independent candidate Uphrem Dave Mafoula received 1.03%. The other four candidates each received less than 1% of the vote, and the provisional results still need approval from the constitutional court.
Sassou-N’Guesso, who ran for the Congolese Party of Labor, told reporters at his party headquarters that the result reflected public support and said the next step was to keep commitments. “By reelecting me by a landslide, the people have kept their word. Now it is up to us to keep ours. We promise to commit ourselves fully to doing everything possible,” he said, adding that he viewed the high turnout as evidence of “civic-mindedness” and “patriotism.”
The election took place amid restrictions that authorities described as standard practice, with the internet shut down across the country and traffic restricted in Brazzaville. The campaign period also reflected what the AP described as a mismatch between the incumbent and his challengers: Sassou-N’Guesso was the only candidate to travel around the country to canvass for votes, and roads in Brazzaville were paved with his effigies.
Two other major parties boycotted the elections over allegations of unfair electoral practices. Sassou-N’Guesso’s government has been shaped by changing legal limits: a constitutional referendum in 2015 removed presidential age and term limits, allowing him to run again.
Sassou-N’Guesso 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 militia leader after a four-month civil war in 1997, and the provisional outcome sets up yet another continuation of his rule.
In Brazzaville, some residents said Sassou-N’Guesso’s reelection was expected and questioned whether voters had a meaningful choice. Taxi driver Jean Baptiste Mahoukou said the opposition failed to field a single candidate, saying, “The blame lies with the manipulated opposition, which failed to field a single candidate, thus leaving the field open to the presidential camp,” while Christian Sondou, a carpenter, said, “Like many of my friends I didn’t vote simply because everything was rigged to ensure that President Denis Sassou N’Guesso continues to govern us.”
Elise Sonia, a vendor at the Makelekele market, said: “There’s no need to lament, we must be patient as he won’t be around forever.” She added that she believed “Nature will take care of this generation that clings to power without making the slightest effort to build and develop the country.”