Brazzaville, March 15, (dpa/GNA) – Voters in Congo-Brazzaville were headed to the polls on Sunday, to elect a president, with long-serving incumbent Denis Sassou Nguesso widely expected to win another term.
About 2.6 million people are eligible to vote. Among the seven candidates, the 82-year-old Sassou Nguesso is seen as the clear frontrunner.
The former army officer has ruled the Central African country for more than 40 years. Sassou Nguesso is a member of the governing Congolese Party of Labour (PCT).
Polling stations open at 7 am (0600 GMT) and close at 6 pm. Preliminary results are not expected until several days after the vote.
If no candidate secures an absolute majority, a runoff between the two leading candidates will take place three weeks later.
Observers believe Sassou Nguesso could be re-elected in the first round, partly due to a fragmented opposition that has failed to agree on a joint candidate.
In 2015, a referendum amended the country’s constitution, removing presidential term limits and the maximum age for candidates.
GNA