The Republic of Congo voted yesterday, Sunday March 21, for its president. "Voters voted freely," said the African Union Observer Head of Mission. The main opposition candidate, Guy-Brice Parfait Kolélas, suffering from Covid-19, has died.
The opponent Kolélas, alias “Pako”, had posted a video message in recent hours on his hospital bed. He claiming to "fight against death", after appearing with a breathing mask. He contracted Covid-19 during the election campaign and chose to reveal his illness to the public the day before the elections.
Kolélas, 61, had tested positive for Covid-19 last Friday, he chose to be transferred to France on election day for treatment, said his campaign manager Cyr Mayanda. Finalist in the 2016 presidential election, Kolélas was the only serious candidate to face Denis Sassou N'Guesso. He died during his transfer to France on Sunday afternoon.
Denis Sassou N'Guesso, the current president of Congo and the favorite of this election, hopes for a victory in the first round after an electoral campaign without incidents.
Perfect Kolélas, the UDH-Yuki candidate, did not participate in his last meetings and could only cover three departments during his electoral campaign. Initially, he thought he had malaria. "Pako" denied the existence of Covid-19 and strongly opposed the health measures of the Congolese government.
The 61-year-old opponent was also diabetic and at high risk of complications from the Covid-19 infection. A video posted on social media on Saturday, dated Friday, showed Kolélas wearing an oxygen mask and a blood pressure monitor on his arm as he lay in a hospital bed. "I ask you to stand up and vote," Pako said.
For his part, the candidate Denis Sassou N'Guesso had covered the twelve departments of the country during the electoral campaign, where he presented his electoral program, the society project "Together, let's continue the march towards development". Sassou N'Guesso focused his program on agricultural development and presented himself as an advocate for Congolese youth. The average age of the population of five million is only 19, according to UN figures.
Despite criticism from the opposition, more than 2 million Congolese voters went to the polls on Sunday. No incident had been recorded until the death of Kolélas today.
The results of the poll are not expected for several days. However, according to analysts on site, “DSN” should be re-elected in the first round.