Presidential election in Congo-Brazzaville: start of the vote and timid mobilization
General view of a ballot for the presidential election in Congo-Brazzaville, 03/21/2021.
AFP - ALEXIS HUGUET
Text by: RFI Follow
2 min
Nearly 2.5 million Congolese voters timidly began to place their ballot in the ballot box this Sunday, March 21 in more than 5,700 polling stations to elect the head of state.
In total, seven opponents are in the running including the outgoing president Denis Sassou-Nguesso, who has accumulated 36 years at the head of the country.
The electoral campaign took place without major incident.
One notable element, however: one of the president's main opponents, Guy-Brice Parfait Kolélas, is hospitalized, contaminated by Covid-19.
Publicity
Read more
With our correspondent in Brazzaville,
Loïcia Martial
In the 5th arrondissement polling station, mobilization was timid throughout the morning.
It must be said that we started voting an hour late in most of the polling stations where we were, in the south, center and north of the city.
All in all, it is not yet the rush of the big days.
Everything takes place in peace.
No car traffic in the city and the Internet has been cut from the middle of the night from Saturday to Sunday.
Kolélas evacuated during the day to France
It was after 11:30 am that outgoing president Denis Sassou-Nguesso voted.
He spoke about the state of health of his main opponent, Guy-Brice Parfait Kolélas.
At 60, the latter is hospitalized: he tested positive for Covid-19 this Friday afternoon, March 19.
He will be evacuated to France during the day, thanks to the efforts of the government, announced the outgoing president.
A medical plane arrived early this Sunday morning in Brazzaville.
Read also: Presidential election in Congo-Brazzaville: participation and transparency, the challenges of the ballot
Newsletter
Receive all international news directly in your mailbox
I subscribe
Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application
google-play-badge_FR
Congo Brazzaville
Denis Sassou-Nguesso
On the same subject
Congo-B: Perfect Kolélas hospitalized for Covid-19 on the eve of the presidential election
Presidential election in Congo-B: job creation, a major concern of young people
Congo-B: lawyer for human rights activist Alexandre Dzabana denounces "arbitrary detention"