Voters in the Republic of Congo are going to the polls for a presidential election that is expected to extend the reign of outgoing President Denis Sassou Nguesso, who has been in power for several decades, by five years.
Approximately 3,2 million voters are registered for this election, the outcome of which appears largely predictable according to many observers. Polling stations opened at 7:00 a.m. local time and are scheduled to close at 6:00 p.m.
Aged 82, Sassou Nguesso has ruled this oil-producing Central African country since 1979, with the exception of a five-year period in the 1990s. He is running against six little-known opponents, none of whom are considered a serious rival.
Several opposition parties chose to boycott the election, denouncing a lack of credibility in the electoral process. Two prominent opposition figures remain in prison, while others live in exile.
Analysts and some civil society organizations expect a lower turnout than in the 2021 presidential election, in which Sassou Nguesso was re-elected with 88,4% of the vote.
In a political context dominated by the ruling Congolese Labour Party, observers believe that the fragmentation of the opposition and the control of electoral institutions by those close to the government greatly limit the uncertainty surrounding the outcome of the election.
