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Congo: “it Would Be A Heresy To Announce A Victory In The First Round”

The month of March brings bad luck to the Congolese. The day after the announcement of the death of Guy-Brice Parfait Kolelas, presidential candidate for this Sunday, March 21 and deputy, this little phrase resonates in Brazzaville. Three names return pell-mell to validate the demonstration, and one year, 1977. March 18, for Marien Ngouabi, President of the Republic (1969-1977), assassinated in troubled circumstances; March 23 for Alphonse Massamba-Débat, President of the Republic (1963-1968), sent shortly after the death of Marien Ngouabi to the firing squad; and the same day for Cardinal Émile Biayenda, ex-archbishop of Brazzaville assassinated after being kidnapped on March 22 by death squads.

Guy-Brice Parfait Kolelas, nicknamed “Paco”, main opponent in the ballot box of outgoing president Denis Sassou Nguesso. had been evacuated urgently to Paris during the first round of the presidential ballot on Sunday. The head of the Union of Humanist Democrats (UDH-Yuki) died in Le Bourget shortly after his arrival. An investigation was opened at the Bobigny public prosecutor’s office to determine the circumstances of his death – the opponent had been diagnosed positive for Covid-19.

No official reaction has yet filtered out following the death of Parfait Kolelas. The government has also not commented on how this event, as unforeseen as it is atypical, could interfere with the current electoral process. The president of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Henri Bouka, began to announce provisional partial results in some localities on Monday. Article 70 of the Congolese Constitution mentions that “if before the first round, one of the candidates dies or is definitively prevented, the Constitutional Court pronounces the postponement of the election”. A provision which is seized today by the camp of the late presidential candidate, as explained by the spokesperson for the UDH-Yuki, Justin Nzoloufoua, and Jean-Jaccques Serge Yhombi. Son of Jacques Yhombi Opango, former president (1977-1979) and Prime Minister (1993-1996), the vice-president of the Rally for Democracy and Development (RDD) had made an alliance at the end of February with the UDH-Yuki and defeated campaign alongside Guy-Brice Parfait Kolelas.

How did Sunday’s poll go according to you?

Jean-Jaccques Serge Yhombi: This election was scandalous. First, because of the non-respect of articles 97 and 99 of the electoral code. They specify that after the closing of the polling stations at 6 p.m., the counting begins and that the public can attend. Then the results report, the yellow sheet, is supposed to be posted on the door of the polling station. But several polling stations were closed earlier than expected and the ballot boxes were swept away. In these cases, the count could not therefore be done in the polling station. In some places, police even prevented candidate delegates from entering the polling station to do their duty and monitor the count. In addition, we saw that identity cards had been produced for the occasion. For us, therefore, there was cheating.

Justin Nzoloufoua: We have lived through a vote without faith or law. In some polling stations, voters showed up at 11 a.m. and did not see their names on the voters lists. They were told to come back at 4 p.m. and that new lists would be posted where their name might appear. We also have testimonies according to which soldiers, who voted in advance this Wednesday, March 17, would have come to vote a second time in civilian clothes.

You are in the process of filing an appeal with the Constitutional Court to request a postponement of the election. On what legal basis?

Jean-Jaccques Serge Yhombi: We are making this appeal on the basis of article 70 of the Constitution, and because of the unexpected death of our candidate. Admittedly, Parfait Kolelas died after the first round, that is to say after the closing of the polling stations this Sunday at 6 p.m. But he was unavailable at the end of the campaign since he was unable to attend his last meeting, this Friday, in Brazzaville.

We had also wanted to make the appeal on Friday, but we did not expect his state of health to worsen in this way, and that he was going to leave us. Whatever happens, if there is a second round, because it would be a heresy to announce a victory for Denis Sassou Nguesso in the first round, it must be canceled, in our opinion.

Justin Nzoloufoua: In the event of a second round, Parfait Kolelas would inevitably be in the race, and we cannot organize a second round with a deceased person.

Do you expect possible reactions from the government on the death of Guy-Brice Parfait Kolelas? Isn’t this a national event?

Jean-Jaccques Serge Yhombi: They are used to not announcing or communicating about this kind of death. Even when my father died, it was only just mentioned under the heading “miscellaneous information”. Perfect Kolelas is a deputy in the current legislature, but there has been no press release or minute of silence in the National Assembly.

Justin Nzoloufoua: This does not surprise us. At the time of President Yhombi’s death, nothing was said. It hurts. It was an event. We are talking about a former President of the Republic who was also Prime Minister, first general of the Congo, first colonel… And we did not see the flag at half mast. There was a national tribute the day the body returned, they caught up.

We have the feeling that it is a way of erasing or remaking history not to talk about the old ones. But they don’t react when a political actor has died.

What is the dominant feeling among your militants today?

Jean-Jaccques Serge Yhombi: Sadness. It’s a big blow. Even for us humanly, it is very hard. Me, outside of politics, I lose a friend. We had a very good campaign without T-shirts, without merchandising, which was appreciated. We are confused, but we have to keep our feet on the ground to control things.

Justin Nzoloufoua: The spirit of sadness dominates, but with the will to go further, to keep the flame burning to achieve change. We are losing a leader in a brutal way, but we must continue the fight.

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