The Republic of Congo will hold its next presidential election on March 15, government spokesperson Thierry Moungalla announced.
Under the country’s constitution, a presidential poll must take place between 30 and 40 days before the end of the incumbent’s term. President Denis Sassou-Nguesso, who is currently in office, was sworn in for his latest term on April 16, 2021.
The electoral authority has yet to publish the official timetable for the submission of candidacies. However, the ruling Congolese Labour Party (PCT) has already endorsed Sassou-Nguesso as its candidate.
Other figures expected to contest the election include former rebel leader Frédéric Bintsamou, widely known as Pastor Ntumi, and Dave Mafoula, who was the youngest candidate in the previous presidential race.
Sassou-Nguesso first came to power in 1979. He lost the country’s first multi-party presidential election in 1992 to Pascal Lissouba, marking a rare peaceful transfer of power in Central Africa. That period ended in 1997, when Sassou-Nguesso returned to office following a civil war with forces loyal to Lissouba.
In 2015, Sassou-Nguesso oversaw constitutional changes that removed the two-term presidential limit, allowing him to extend his time in power.
The Congolese government has also faced international scrutiny in recent years. In 2017, associates of the president were indicted in France on charges of laundering public funds in the so-called “ill-gotten gains” investigation, which also involves ruling families from Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.
