Congolese will go to the polls on 15 March 2026 to elect their president, with a fractured opposition unable to present a single candidate. The Congolese Labor Party (PCT), in power since the end of the 1997 civil war, along with its allies, exerts extensive control over the state apparatus and electoral bodies. Citizen participation, particularly among young people aspiring for change, remains crucial for the legitimacy of the vote.
The credibility of the electoral process is also challenged with concerns about opposition access to public media, the reliability of the electoral register, and the impartiality of the Independent National Electoral Commission. Etanislas Ngodi has studied political systems and party dynamics in Congo-Brazzaville. He explains what’s at stake in the presidential election.
What factors do you think will be most decisive for the election outcome?
This presidential election is marked by a structured and organised majority, a weakened opposition lacking unity, and a shrinking civic space.
The Congolese Labor Party and its allies have put in place conditions aimed at retaining power. This is achieved in particular through control of state apparatus including security agencies, electoral umpire and the courts.
Denis Sassou Nguesso, the ruling party candidate – first elected into office at the end of the civil war in 1997 – also relies on the creation of clientelist networks, cutting across nearly all social strata to secure a broad victory in the first round.
The Congolese opposition, on the other hand, is approaching the election in disarray. It has been unable to reach a consensus on a single candidate. This greatly reduces the chances of democratic change in the country.
Six opposition candidates representing smaller political parties are officially in the running. They are Joseph Kignoumbi Kia Mboungou , Nganguia Engambe-Anguios, Dave Uphreim Mafoula, Destin Melaine Gavet Elengo, Vivien Romain Manangou and Mabio Mavoungou Zinga.
There are also some historical opposition figures who have marked the political scene over the last ten years. They include Mathias Dzon, Clément Miérassa and Claudine Munari. They too failed to form a solid coalition capable of effectively challenging the ruling party.
The parliamentary opposition, including the Panafrican Union for Social Democracy (UPADS) and Union of Democrats and Humanists-Yuki (UDH-YUKI), called for a boycott. They highlighted concerns over electoral governance, such as the planned use of biometrics, the reliability of the voter register, and the impartiality of election management bodies.
Pre-election actions, including security crackdowns, intimidation and political pressure by authorities, clearly affected the electoral environment.
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What impact could voter turnout have on the balance of power?
Afrobarometer surveys (rounds 9 and 10) conducted in the country in 2023 and 2024 show that 41.6% of respondents said they did not vote, for various reasons. These included not being registered on the electoral roll (13.1%).
Other reasons included lack of interest in politics and apathy towards voting (12.1%), lack of time (4.3%), and the absence of candidates or political parties close to the people (4.7%). Some respondents cited a lack of confidence in the electoral process, particularly in the election management bodies.
Past electoral experiences in Congo have shown how voter turnout remains a determining factor in legitimacy and credibility. One of the challenges of this election remains the turnout rate, which is a sign of popular legitimacy for the election and the winner.
What strategies have affected voter turnout in the recent election?
Debates surrounding the electoral process in the country generally focus on the discrepancy between the official figures announced by the Ministry of the Interior and observations on the ground made by civil society organisations and opposition supporters. They also focus on the impact of citizen disengagement.
However, the level of turnout is unlikely to change the political balance at the end of this election.
The opposition could argue that the election lacks legitimacy due to the absence of a credible challenger. Their boycott strategy could lead to low voter turnout and reinforce the disinterest of young and/or new voters who wants to change the political class.
In whats ways would the credibility of the electoral process influence the results?
The credibility of the election is a central concern, affecting both the outcome and its acceptance. Shortcomings in transparency, inclusiveness and fairness will fuel controversy, even among the losing parties.
The elections held regularly since 2002 have often been considered uncompetitive and lacking in transparency by observers including international election observation missions, Congolese civil society organisations, and some political analysts. Observers point in particular to major shortcomings in equitable access to the media, such as unbalanced coverage and restrictions or intimidation of certain candidates.
Concerns persist over the reliability of the electoral register, including audits, removal of duplicates, and transparency in voter lists. Trust in the Independent National Electoral Commission is also debated, particularly regarding its impartiality, appointment of members and logistical capacity.
How would Sassou Nguesso’s long stay in office affect this election?
Sassou Nguesso first came into power in 1979, following a military coup. His rule was interrupted in 1992 after he lost the country’s first plural elections. This was followed by a civil war and he returned into office as president in 1997 after the civil war.
Since then, he has remained in office. His party largely controls the state apparatus, including the media. Sassou Nguesso has shaped the institutional balance of power. He continues to influence appointments in the administration, the security forces, and key institutions like the parliament and the electoral commission.
The president’s long stay in office is often presented by supporters of the ruling party as a guarantee of political experience, stability and institutional continuity.
For the opposition, Sassou Nguesso’s long tenure reshapes the political landscape, sidelines historical figures, and fosters fragmented, personalised opposition. It also ensures that calls for political renewal and generational change grow louder.
Ngodi Etanislas does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
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Fun South African Fact: Towns like Franschhoek and Stellenbosch boast world-class wine farms in beautiful settings.
Kitchen
The Man who could only Drink Milk
I know an old man who had lived a life full of adventure, but his health started to catch up with him. He\’d run the Boston Marathon, was an avid surfer, and climbed Everest, but he\’d started to have abdominal pains around his 85th birthday and went to see a doctor. Sadly, he ultimately was diagnosed with a rare degenerative liver disease that slowly made him allergic to everything he ate.
He kept copious notes, and as an avid gastronomist slowly grew to despair as everything he\’d spent his life enjoying became something he could no longer eat. Alcohol went first, then mushrooms, then bread, then root vegetables, then coffee, one at a time he had to remove them from his diet. The doctor was clear: if he kept eating something his liver rejected the autoimmune response would be quick and severe, and would lead to a painful death. Little by little, everything was taken away as an option, until the only thing that remained was milk.
In some ways, this actually made life easier, because the mental strain of remembering what he could and couldn\’t eat was gone, but then so was the joy in variety. But he took it in stride, and got his own cow and took classes from a farmer to learn everything he could about the only thing that could give him sustenance. And even within milk, he could still have yogurt, butter, cream, some cheeses, and other milk-derived products he hadn\’t fully rejected yet, so it wasn\’t all bad. But then one day a few months later he felt the pain again, and he knew cow\’s milk was no longer an option.
Lacking other options, he tried goat\’s milk, and he was delighted that it worked! The protein structure is just different enough that his body still tolerated it. That bought him another month. And that\’s when we came up with a wonderful plan to go on one last grand adventure around the world. If he could get one month of life out of the milk of every mammal, he\’d actually have a few more years to enjoy life to the fullest and see the world in all its beauty. Each month, we\’d pick a place with a new mammal, and he would immerse himself fully with the locals, learn all the ways to prepare the milk, and just enjoy the hand he had been dealt as much as he could.
We milked sheep in New Zealand. Camels in Egypt. Zebras in South Africa. Giant bats in Indonesia. Do you know how many Peruvian cuy you need to milk to get a single glass? I do. Even as his health slowly faded, he stayed cheerful, and I felt lucky to join him on the adventure of a lifetime. That brings us to today when he got to the very end of his spreadsheet, and declared that he was now allergic to every mammal. He\’d enjoyed his journey, but his time had come to an end, for there was nothing left to milk.
To which I said nonsense, I bet we can milk a few thousand karma out of this post.