CONTENTS | ANB-BIA HOMEPAGE | WEEKLY NEWS
|
Congo-Brazza |
ELECTIONS
On 10 March 2002, in conformity with the new Constitution, the people of Congo elected Sassou Nguesso as President for a seven-year term
Sassou Nguesso (59), was elected again for a seven-year term. He won the presidential election with 1,075,247 votes (89.41% of votes cast). It must be admitted that among the seven candidates in the running, Sassou Nguesso had no real competition. Former prime minister André Milongo, one of the «heavy weight» challengers, retired from the fray two days before the election. After Sassou, with 2.76% of votes cast, came Joseph Kignoumbi, the Pan African Union for Social Democracy (UPADS)’s candidate (a party led by Paschal Lissouba). Kignoumbi’s candidature was contested by the founders of the party.
There were no real political stakes involved in this election. The opposition bigwigs are in exile. In conformity with the Constitution, Bernard Kolélas, Yhombi Opangault, Pascal Lissouba and other exiles were not eligible for election because, they had been living outside Congo for the last two years.
The Elections
Congo’s citizens voted en masse. Overall, the election passed off calmly, in spite of a few hiccups in some places —a lack of polling cards and the omission of some electors’ names from the electoral lists. However, the election organisers overcame these difficulties by asking the voters to vote on an additional list — in clear contravention of the electoral law, which stipulates that «only those on the electoral lists can vote. And every voter duly registered on the electoral list has a right to a voters’ card».
Another situation which raised some eyebrows, was the absence of certain candidates representatives in a number of polling stations. Articles 84 and 85 clearly state that «each candidate or each list of candidates in various elections, has the right to nominate a representative as an observer in each polling station. The candidates or of the lists of candidates’ representatives, have the right to include their remarks concerning the way in which the election was carried out, in the official report of the proceedings». According to Thierry Moungala, André Milongo’s campaign manager, these two articles (among other things), justified Milongo’s withdrawal from the presidential race.
Apart from these few flaws, the voting went off well and fortunately there were no major incidents to report. There were no long queues at the polling stations as in the past. The security forces behaved well. A number of national and international observers were on hand. Out of 1,733,943 registered voters, 1,295,319 cast their votes, (74.70% participation).
Reactions
Congo-Brazza has witnessed numerous acts of violence ever since 1993, so it was clear the Congolese wanted to participate in the elections in order to re-launch the democratic process. Nouroubia, a pensioner, puts it this way: «We don’t want any more wars. We voted for Sassou Nguesso so he could complete his mission of bringing peace to the country and of carrying on with the work of reconstruction which he began after the 1997 war ended».
Sassou Nguesso is convinced that the victor in the election doesn’t win everything; neither does the loser lose everything. In this way Sassou is calling on all Congolese to work hand-in-hand to reconstruct the whole nation destroyed by wars. Having thanked the people, he said: «You have chosen me, you have elected me by a large majority in the first round. This victory is above all yours, a victory of the whole Congolese people. That is why I invite you to prepare yourselves to realise your dream of a new society which will be our common undertaking. I invite you to make a reality of the new hope. Together, we shall face up to the challenge of reconstruction and modernisation of the country, our most precious common good».
Thus, Congo’s President has transformed his 15 October 1997 military victory into a political victory. Defence Minister Lékounzou Ossétoumba describes it as «a job well done which should be rewarded. And the Congolese people have thanked President Sassou by voting him in, again. He is the “man of the hour”. We are going to redouble our efforts to help Congo regain its image of bygone days. We must work for a lasting peace and national reconstruction. These are the most important meeting points of the Congolese people».
Marius Mbouabenga is Congo’s Commissioner for the Re-Integration of Former Militia Members. He says that in previous elections, it was intemperate language and insults which brought about conflicts. He declared: «This time round, all the candidates whom we met, avoided insults and invectives. It’s the people’s victory. I hope that all future elections will be carried out the same way». And Benjamin Boukoulou, the Union for the Republic (UR)’s leader, added: «Now we’re entering a new era, an era of new hope. We hope that with Sassou Nguesso we are going to build a new Congo, a Congo for all».
David Charles Ganao is leader of the Union of Democratic Forces (UFD). He says that some politicians continue to behave as if the Congolese people had not experienced war. «For my part, I’ve decided to make clear to all and sundry that enough is enough. Our people have suffered and there’s no way we can inflict any more. I’ve arrived at the conclusion that only Sessou can preserve peace.»
Jean Felix Dembo Ntello didn’t have much luck in the elections. He now says that the recent election is a starting point for a vast movement of renewal and for the re-founding of Congo. «Whatever controversy was raised by the election, and any reticence we may have regarding the way the election was carried out, as a convinced democrat, I now say “well done” to the candidate who has been duly elected».
André Milongo‘s withdrawal from the presidential race, caused much ink to flow and deprived this election of any real contest. But Milongo remains confident: «I’m not dead politically. In any case, I knew I wasn’t going to win. But I’m not dead politically. I’m going to stand for the parliamentary and municipal elections».
Not all politicians welcomed Sassou Nguesso’s election, and Congolese exiles had even more reason to be disappointed. As usual, Bernard Kolélas, formerly mayor of Brazzaville, from his exile in South Africa refused to accept the results of this election which he called a «masquerade».
From an international point of view, how was the election seen? More than 63 international observers, 43 of whom came from the European Union, visited some 500 polling stations throughout the country. Joachim Miranda was leader of the European Union’s delegation for the elections. He states: «For the moment, I want to stress the peaceful climate in which the election was held, as well as the determination of the Congolese people that this election, so important in this phase of political transition, should pass off peacefully.»
Outlook for the future
One observer said: «The way in which Sassou Nguesso was elected has nothing to do with political pluralism. It’s our dearest wish that future elections will give rise to true democratic diversity». Obviously, serious efforts have still to be made. Members of the official observation mission, (MOEC), think that several aspects require special attention in order to improve the electoral process: The holding of a census and the method of drawing up electoral lists; providing ways and means of imparting appropriate information between the electoral authorities and other persons involved in the election, particularly the candidates; the National Electoral Commission should be completely separate from the Interior Ministry in all electoral matters.
Everybody knows that the possibility of one political party taking over from another at election time, is the guarantee of stability in any country. A supporter of one of the unsuccessful candidates puts it this way: «I invite Sassou Nguesso, duly elected on 10 March, to take into account the preoccupations raised by opposition candidates regarding Congo-Brazza’s future parliamentary, local and senatorial elections. The re-elected President has to take responsibility for continuing with an electoral process which has already become corrupted since the 20 January constitutional referendum. We demand that he should also take to heart the success of the process of national reconciliation which we think is incomplete, in spite of some significant progress». Dzaba is a member of Association of Civil Society organisations. He declares: «We hope that the remaining elections will be held in the same peaceful atmosphere».
Sassou Nguesso has received the people’s vote of confidence. He must now take in hand the destiny of the Congolese nation by leading it into the society of democratic nations.
ENGLISH CONTENTS | ANB-BIA HOMEPAGE | WEEKLY NEWS
PeaceLink 2002 - Reproduction authorised, with usual acknowledgement