Congo-Brazzaville - 2002 - Election
With a Constitution and the holding of elections during the year 2002, citizens generally had the right to change their government peacefully. Presidential and legislative elections held over a period of nearly 6 months in two rounds per election were determined "not to contradict the will of the people" by independent observers, despite obvious flaws like insufficient numbers of ballots at certain polling stations and confusion over their locations. In addition, key documents, such as the Constitution, and the elections were viewed by some foreigners as designed to protect the status quo.
International observers for the presidential elections in March included the Organization of French-Speaking Countries, the European Union, and the African Union. Local observers included NGOs. There were fewer international observers for the legislative elections. Most foreign observers based in the country concluded that elections were reasonably free and fair and did not thwart the will of the people, although they were flawed and remained incomplete at year's end due to an ongoing armed insurgency in the Pool region. Administrative improvements also were noted in each round.
On 19 February 2002, the European Union announced that it was to send 44 election monitors to the Republic of Congo. Initially 12 candidates entered the electoral race but two were disqualified by the Supreme Court on 10 February 2002. Six of the remaining candidates threatened to pull out of the election unless the electoral law was modified. On 6 March 2002, two candidates, Martin Mberi and General Anselme Makoumbou carried out their threats and pulled out of the presidential race. They cited a lack of transparency in the electoral process as their reason. Furthermore, on 8 March 2002, Andre Milongo also announced that he was withdrawing from the race. In the event, the elections passed off peacefully on 10 March 2002.
Denis Sassou-Nguesso - standing for the FDU (Forcés Démocratiques Unies - United Democratic Forces - won 89.41% of the vote. Even before the election results were issued, opposition groups claimed that the election was fixed. However, Joaquim Miranda, head of the European Union (EU) observer team commented that despite “a significant number of irregularities, essentially of an administrative nature, throughout the country” these were “for the most part resolved by the authorities in a spirit of enabling the majority of people to vote”. Mr Miranda also praised the peaceful conditions that surrounded the elections.
However, the Economist Intelligence Unit was more critical in its appraisal, particularly in reference to the government's failure to establish an independent electoral authority. They said that; “The government's refusal to establish an independent election body to oversee the voting certainly suggests that President Sassou-Nguesso was determined to stay in power by fair means or foul”. The Supreme Court later confirmed the election result. However, in the absence of any effective opposition, the result was never really in any doubt. It was this lack of opposition during the presidential election, which drew criticism from the EU. Seemingly censuring oppositions groups, Brussels stated that it deplored the low level of participation by opposition parties throughout the electoral process and the withdrawal of several candidates in the days preceding the poll.
Despite the fighting in the Pool regions, the Government insisted that the first round of the legislative elections scheduled for 26 May 2002 should go ahead, and official campaigning started on 10 May 2002.
The first round of elections to the 137-member Assemblee Nationale, which was held on 26 May 2002, was contested by some 1,200 candidates from more than 100 parties. Although more than one half of the candidates had no party affiliation, it was reported that many of these nominally independent candidates were allies of Sassou-Nguesso.
Accusations of disorganisation and a lack of suitable equipment dogged the elections. In some polling stations in Pointe Noire, the second largest city, voting was delayed as the ballot papers and accessories did not arrive on time. Voters found that, despite being registered for the presidential elections earlier in the year, their names were not on the voter register for this election. The electoral commission stated that the second round of parliamentary elections passed off peacefully in most areas although the turnout was low. One factor contributing to the low voter turnout was the more stringent requirements for voter identification. In the first round, voters only needed to show special voter cards to cast a ballot but in the second round, national identity cards, driving licences or passports were required. Not all voters possessed these documents. The Government put the turnout for the first round at no more than 20 percent
The National Electoral Commission (CONEL) barred some candidates from running. It was reported that these disqualifications did tend to favour the PCT, Sassou-Nguesso's party. However, some presidential allies were also disqualified, most notably his brother, Maurice Nguesso, his finance minister, Mathias Dzon, and his aide Antoinette Olouo. Dzon and Maurice Nguesso were accused of distributing false documents to allow their supporters to vote, insulting a public officer and of making deaths threats.
Maurice Nguesso was also accused of destroying election material in the Talangai district of Brazzaville. Voting could not go ahead in Gamboma, Brazzaville on the scheduled day due to the problems attributed to Dzon. Olouo was accused of stuffing ballot boxes. Many of those accused of cheating were banned from running for office in the future, however, Dzon only received a warning about his behavior.
Despite a request from the government for the European Union to monitor these elections, no observer team was sent. Despite candidates needing more that 50 percent of the vote to win, 55 of the 137 seats were decided in the first round on 26 May 2002 and 29 of these were won by the Government. Under the terms of the constitution, those seats without a candidate with 50 percent of the vote after the first round, would require a second round. Andre Milongo, thought to be the only significant challenger to Sassou-Nguesso in the March 2002 presidential election before he pulled out, won his seat of the Boko district in the first round with 59.65 percent of the vote.
The second round took place on 23 June 2002, which completed the parliamentary elections. After the attack on the capital a week earlier by rebel Ninjas, the second round turnout was low. In areas where fighting had occurred such as Ouenze and Moungali, officials stated that the turnout was as low as 15 percent.
Despite operations continuing against the Ninjas, the first round voting itself passed off relatively peacefully, although incidents of violence did occur, mainly in Brazzaville. Evidence of electoral malpractice was also apparent during the first round. In Tanlangai, a northern suburb of Brazzaville, 100 youths smashed voting booths and took ballot boxes, and also an election official was arrested in the same area. He was found with a box full of ballot papers.
The second round took place amid tightened security after the 14 June attacks on Brazzaville by the Ninjas. The situation was calm and voting passed off peacefully. CONEL tightened the registration criteria and only accepted passports, driving licences or national identity cards as forms of identity. In previous elections, including the first round, constituents could use their special voter cards to be allowed to cast their vote. It is believed that this also accounted for the drop in voter turn out. Some voters commented that the Government had not produced such cards in 7 years - in which time many people had turned 18 and were thus eligible to vote, but did not have a national identity card.
The the FDU (Forcés Démocratiques Unies - United Democratic Forces - won 83 of the 137 seats. Notable casualties in the elections were the former Mayor of Pointe Noire, Thystere Tchicaya and the Minister for Petroleum Affairs, Taty Loutard. Thystere Tchicaya, of the Rassemblement pour la démocratie at le progrés Social (RDPS) party, was elected speaker of the House of Representatives on 10 August 2002. The RDPS is allied to the Sassou-Nguesso's PCT. No voting was held in 8 constituencies in the Pool region due to the security situation, therefore, only 129 seats were taken.
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