Congo/Presidential Election: The Constitutional Court Validates the Reelection of Sassou N’Guesso

Incumbent President Denis Sassou N’Guesso has been reelected with 94.90% of the votes for a fifth term following the presidential election held on March 15, as announced by the Constitutional Court of Congo-Brazzaville on Saturday night.

Mr. Sassou N’Guesso, the candidate from the Congolese Labor Party (PCT), secured 94.82% of the votes according to provisional results from the first round of the presidential election.

“Having achieved an absolute majority of the votes, Denis Sassou N’Guesso is elected president with 94.90% of the votes, based on a turnout rate of 65.90%,” stated Auguste Iloki, President of the Constitutional Court, during a public hearing.

In power since 1997, Mr. Sassou N’Guesso, 82 years old, previously ruled the country from 1979 to 1992 before returning to power in 1997 following a civil war.

A total of seven candidates were in the running during this presidential election.