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International News

Republic of Congo votes in an election that's expected to extend incumbent president's 42-year rule

AP

By LOUIS OKAMBA Associated Press

BRAZZAVILLE, Republic of Congo (AP) -- The Republic of Congo is voting to elect a leader Sunday that is likely to see incumbent President Denis Sassou N'Guesso take a fifth consecutive term.

Some 3 million people are registered to vote in the election, which has been marked by a lethargic mood among young people who expect Sassou N'Guesso to win again, and a call for a boycott by opposition parties. Polls are expected to close by 7 p.m. (1800 GMT).

Six other candidates are challenging the 82-year-old Sassou N'Guesso for the top job in the Central African country that boasts one of the largest oil reserves in sub-Saharan Africa. But analysts say none of them can mount a significant challenge against the incumbent, who has been in power for a total of 42 years.

The internet has been shut down across the country as usual during the presidential election in the country, and traffic has been restricted across the capital.

"Everyone knows that, faced with his six inexperienced opponents, President Denis Sassou-Nguesso will be re-elected with a high score as usual. Since the election is not a big issue, we shouldn't cut off communication," Clarisse Massamba, a teacher who voted at the Lycée Javoueh in Brazzaville, told The Associated Press.

The campaign period showed a vast mismatch between Sassou N'Guesso and his opponents, with the incumbent being the only candidate to travel around the country to canvass for votes. Roads in the capital city, Brazzaville, are paved with Sassou N'Guesso's effigies.

Two other major parties are boycotting the elections over allegations of unfair electoral practices.

Sassou N'Guesso, running for the Congolese Party of Labor, 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 following a four-month civil war in 1997.

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 currently stands at 94.5% of its gross domestic product according to the World Bank, and skyrocketing unemployment rates for young people. More than half the country's 5.7 million population lives in poverty and 47% of the country's population is under 18.

The election is the latest in a trend of octogenarian African leaders clinging to power. Sassou N'Guesso is the third-longest-serving African president, only behind Cameroon 's Paul Biya and Equatorial Guinea 's Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo.

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This story has been corrected to spell Sassou N'Guesso's first name as Denis, not Dennis.