The Republic of Congo has concluded its ballot count for the presidential elections and has announced the incumbent president, Denis Sassou Nguesso, who has spent 32 years in office, as the winner.
This announcement was made by the Interior Minister, Raymond Zephyrin Mboulou,
on national television on Thursday, where he stated that the president
led the polls with 60 percent in the first round, while the next
candidate,
Guy Brice Kolelas, had 15 percent of the votes and General Marie Michel Mokoko came third with a little less than 14 percent.
According to ‘The Guardian’, the
president’s opponents expressed their concern on the authenticity of the
results and rejected them, saying there was “massive fraud” and calling
for a recount.
The elections were held under an imposed
communications blackout by governmental authorities to prevent
opposition candidates from publishing “illegal results” and would likely
remain, according to a government source, until after the official
results.
Vivien Manangou,
Kolelas’ spokesman, said government forces had stormed the candidate’s
campaign offices on Tuesday, hurling tear gas canisters and causing a
stampede. There was also said to be heavy police and military presence
in places where there was opposition stronghold.
This is the 72-year-old’s third term in
office and he has been ruling the country since 1979, except for five
years when he away on exile in Paris from 1992 to 1997.
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