Congo votes in local, parliamentary elections

Congo began voting on Sunday in parliamentary and local elections which will likely see the ruling party maintain its stronghold of the parliament’s two chambers.

The polls were expected to open at 07:00 am (0600 GMT), but were at least one hour late in some of the stations AFP correspondents visited.

At Nkeoua Joseph school in the Bacongo constituency in the capital, where seven candidates are running, the first voter slipped her ballot paper into the box at 8:11 am local time.

“I came to do my duty because I love my country. But most of all, I need change. I am 61 years old and I’ve never had a job,” said Francine Nkounkou, a Bacongo resident.

Over 2,000 candidates are running for 151 assembly seats in the vote on July 10, according to the country’s directorate general of electoral affairs.

The Congolese Labour Party (PCT) of President Denis Sassou Nguesso is currently the largest in the 151-seat assembly, with 101 deputies.

Nguesso, a 78-year-old former paratrooper, has been president of the Republic of Congo for a total of 37 years.

The councillors chosen by voters on Sunday will in turn appoint the 72 senators in the first chamber of parliament.

The country’s leading opposition party, the Pan-African Union for Social Democracy (UPADS), is fielding 45 candidates.

UDH-Yuki, another opposition party, is putting forward 32 candidates.

But two small opposition parties have said they will boycott the election over fears that it will be rigged.

Voting will end at 6:00 pm.

There are also at least 3,000 observers sent by national NGOs, the African Union and the Economic Community of Central African States in Congo.

There will be a second round for parliamentary elections but the date has not yet been set.