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CONGO: 51 of 137 National Assembly seats decided in first round

NAIROBI, 5 June (IRIN) - Interior Minister Pierre Oba announced on Tuesday that 51 of 137 available National Assembly seats had been determined in the first round of legislative elections in the Republic of Congo.

President Denis Sassou-Nguesso's Parti congolais du travail (the Congolese Labour Party) won 29 of the 51 seats, in an election the government said was marred by foul play and violence. Fresh polls are being conducted in districts where voting was disrupted. This includes several in the Pool region where government forces are fighting "Ninja" militias allied to the Rev Frederic Bitsangou, alias Pasteur Ntoumi.

Former Prime Minister Andre Milongo won 59.65 percent of the vote in the Boko District of Pool. Milongo, who had been regarded as the only real threat to Sassou-Nguesso in the 10 March presidential election, withdrew his candidacy for the presidency two days prior to the polls, claiming irregularities.

Candidates must win 50 percent of the vote to be elected. A second round is due to be held on 23 June, concurrent with local and municipal elections.

Meanwhile, the Electoral Commission had disqualified an additional three parliamentary candidates for destruction of electoral material or assault and battery, AFP reported on Tuesday. Twelve candidates had already been disqualified for disrupting and defrauding the first-round election.

Since 1998, the country has had National Transitional Council, consisting of 75 non-elected members. It was created to replace the bicameral parliament existing prior to the 1997 civil war. The bicameral parliament chosen in this election, consisting of a National Assembly and a Senate, will replace the council.

In a related development, the Interior Ministry announced on Monday that all declarations of candidacy for senatorial elections, due to take place on 7 July, must be filed by 15 June. In addition to providing a number of documents certifying identity and proper legal and financial conduct, candidates must deposit CFA 100,000 (US $145).

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