Republic of the Congo: Referendum, 25 October 2015

At stake in this election:

• This referendum will determine if there will be changes to the constitution regarding the rules for presidential term limits.

Description of government structure:

• Chief of State: President Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO (since 25 October 1997)
• Head of Government: President Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO (since 25 October 1997)
• Assembly: Republic of the Congo has a bicameral Parliament consisting of the Senate and the National Assembly. The Senate is composed of 72 seats and the National Assembly is composed of 139 seats.

Electoral requirements:

• There are no minimum requirements for a referendum to be valid. For a referendum to pass, a simple majority vote is required. 

About the referendum:

• This referendum includes several proposed changes regarding presidential term limits and requirements. It would allow for up to three terms as president, eliminate an age limit of 70 for candidates, and reduce the length of presidential terms from 7 to 5 years.

Population and number of registered voters:

·         Population: 4,755,097 (July 2015 est.)

·         Registered Voters: 2,078,802 (2009)

Gender Data:

·         Female Population: 2,371,197 (July 2015 est.)

·         Is Republic of the Congo a signatory to CEDAW: Yes (29 July 1980)

·         Has Republic of the Congo ratified CEDAW: Yes (26 July 1982)

·         Gender Quota: Yes[1]

·         Female candidates in this election: N/A

·         Number of Female Parliamentarians: 24 (11.37%)[2]

·         Human Development Index Position: 136 (2014)

·         Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Categorization: Medium (2014)

Disability Data:

·         Is Republic of the Congo a signatory to CRPD: Yes (30 March 2007)

·         Has Republic of the Congo ratified CRPD: Yes (2 September 2014)

·         Population with a disability: 713,265