Congo-Brazzaville - 2016 - Election
The prospect of the end of President Sassou's term in 2016 mobilized the power and the main opposition parties from the beginning of 2015. While he could not constitutionally run for a third term (age limit of 70 years, not more than two terms), President Sassou invites political parties and civil society to a debate on the change of the institutions of the Republic, on the grounds that they are no longer adapted to the political, cultural and social context, And with a view to making them more democratic.
From 13 to 17 July, the government organized a "national dialogue" in Sibiti, to which the radical opposition, joined by some seders of the presidential party (PCT), refused to participate. At the end of the discussions, the Congolese authorities announced that a consensus had been reached in favor of the change of constitution. On 22 September, Sassou announced his intention to submit to the referendum a new constitution, the new provisions of which would remove the obstacles to its renewal, and which date was 25 October 2015.
Despised by the opposition calling for a boycott of the ballot, the referendum is preceded by numerous demonstrations. On 20 October, clashes between protestors and security forces killed 4 people according to the official record.
Opposition rallies against a referendum on a new constitution that would permit President Sassou to run for a third term as president turned violent in October 2015. There were large-scale clashes and widespread civil unrest in Brazzaville, Pointe-Noire, and several other cities throughout the southern part of the country, with reports of over a dozen deaths and significant damage to politicians’ properties.
For several months there had been a strong security presence in southern areas of Brazzaville and the city of Pointe-Noire. An opposition call for a one-day “stay at home” strike to protest the conduct of the elections was relatively successful, especially in Pointe Noire. Many Congolese had been concerned for their personal security, with some leaving cities for their villages. The government cut off internet and SMS communications for ten days in October during the referendum period and cut off all communications for four days during the presidential election period, which contributed to a greater air of uncertainty. The southern Brazzaville neighborhoods experienced violence just before the announcement of the results by the Constitutional Court. There were clashes between assailants and security forces, with sounds of heavy gunfire in the early morning hours, reportedly resulting in 17 deaths. Tens of thousands of people temporarily fled their homes heading to safety in the northern suburbs. Subsequent security operations in the Pool region surrounding Brazzaville also caused people to flee their homes.
In the night of 3 to 4 April, clashes took place in Brazzaville between the security forces and armed elements, killing 17 people, according to the government. The latter accuses the Ninja militia of Pastor Ntumi and, without waiting for the results of the investigations, launches an offensive in the Pool area, Ntumi stronghold. According to the organizations that had access to the area (Caritas and MSF), these operations did not cause any civilian deaths but many displaced people (more than 2000).
On presidential election day, international observers witnessed a number of irregularities including: incorrect voter lists; inconsistency in ballot boxes; prefilled voting tally sheets for voter stations in Brazzaville; polling officials allowing and encouraging underage and multiple voting and instructing voters to vote only for the incumbent; polling stations opening late and without adequate supplies; polling officials refusing entry to accredited international observers; persons paying voters to vote for certain candidates; lack of uniform enforcement of voter identification requirements; polling officials, at separate locations, loyal to either the incumbent president or opposition candidates blocking entry to voters supporting opposing candidates; ruling party loyalists impersonating representatives of other candidates; polling officials not posting final vote tally sheets on the exterior wall of polling stations as required and burning ballots after the polling station count; and officials prohibiting observation at regional and national vote compilation centers.
The Constitutional Court declared incumbent president Denis Sassou N’Guesso the winner of the 2016 presidential election in the first round with 60.29 percent of the vote. The court cited a 68.92 percent voter turnout among the more than two million eligible voters, with a 100 percent voter turnout in at least three regions.
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