CONGO: The electoral campaign to renew the parliament started

At all major streets in the city of Brazaville huge billboards and posters of the various candidates have been mounted.

This including those of the Congolese Labour Partys President Denis Sassou Nguesso who wants to keep his majority in the National Assembly.

"When you have a majority and you still have ambitions, you have to show them on the one hand, and on the other hand see them in a big way. We now have 101 members in the National Assembly, so if we display the ambition to have 101 plus something, it is only normal, on the 151 constituencies, it is only normal, "says Parfait Iloki, its spokesman.

The Union of Humanist Democrats (UDH-Yuki) of the late opponent Guy-Brice Parfait Kolélas will be present.

"Our list is consistent: we have presented 32 candidates for the legislative and 39 lists of departmental and municipal councillors because we believe that the policy of the empty chair does not pay," said Diop Mahouckouss, deputy head of communication of the UDH-Yuki.

The Congolese opposition federation on the other hand is calling for a boycott.

"These elections lead the Congolese to ask themselves a question: where is the Congo going, what do we want from the Congo. The Congo is going badly, very badly. We simply tell the Congolese that the Congolese opposition federation has chosen to boycott these elections," said its president Clément Miérassa.

Stand up:

"The electoral campaign which started today will run until 8 July. In the meantime, there will be a break between 2 and 5 July to allow the Defence and Security Forces to perform their civic duty on 4 July. The rest of the population will be called to the polls on 10 July. "