Denis Sassou Nguesso
Supporters of Congo-Brazzaville’s incumbent President Denis Sassou Nguesso celebrated in the streets as provisional results confirmed he is winning a fifth term with nearly 95% of the vote.
This victory will extend Sassou Nguesso’s 42-year hold on power by another five years.
Interior Minister Raymond Zephyrin Mboulou announced on national TV that he secured a fifth term with “94.8%” of the votes. Voter turnout, initially expected to be low, was reported at “84.65%.”
Some candidates have publicly challenged the results, citing a lack of transparency. First-time candidate Destin Gavet held a press conference to condemn irregularities and criticize the government’s complete internet blackout.
Ivan Ngoy, executive director of NGO Global Participate, called the election a major setback for democracy in Congo. Bertrand Menier, spokesperson for civil society platform CAPGED’s citizen observation mission, described the election as “a Nintendo election,” asserting that “the results do not reflect reality.”
The platform reported numerous irregularities throughout Sunday and declared the election was “neither fair, nor free, nor transparent.”
Academic Etanislas Ngodi stated that Denis Sassou-Nguesso achieved “a Soviet-style score,” emphasizing that he “controls the institutions, security forces, and administrative structures.”
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