Around 2.6 million voters in the Republic of Congo are called to vote for a president this Sunday.
Mar 15, 2026, 9:45 a.mMar 15, 2026, 9:45 a.m
The 82-year-old incumbent Denis Sassou-Nguesso is considered the most promising candidate among the seven candidates. The former officer has been at the helm of the Central African country, which is classified as largely stable by the Foreign Office, for more than 40 years. He belongs to the ruling Congolese Work Party (PCT).
Denis Sassou-Nguesso is considered the favorite.Image: keystone
Polling stations open at 7 a.m. and close at 6 p.m. Preliminary results are not expected until a few days after the election. If no candidate achieves an absolute majority, there will be a runoff election three weeks later between the two most successful candidates.
Observers assume that Sassou-Nguesso could be re-elected in the first round – also because of the fragmentation of the opposition, which was unable to agree on a common candidate. Already in 2015, with the help of a referendum, the limits on the presidential term and the maximum age of candidates were changed in the country’s constitution.
The last presidential election in 2021 was boycotted by parts of the opposition. (sda/dpa)