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Republic of Congo president re-elected in first round

Xinhua, March 24, 2016 Adjust font size:

Republic of Congo President Denis Sassou N'Guesso has been re-elected with 60.39 percent of the votes cast in the country's first round presidential elections held on March 20, results published Thursday by Interior Minister Raymond Zephirin Mboulou have shown.

"It is the people's vote; this is the choice of the people who have decided to enter into the new republic," N'Guesso said when he addressed the press immediately after the publication of the results.

"I congratulate the other eight candidates who proposed their manifestos to the people; I appeal for the unity of Congolese people, for peace and for hard work to develop our country," he said, adding that the elections were conducted in a "peaceful and transparent manner, and the Congolese people demonstrated political maturity".

N'Guesso, 72, begins a new five-year term at the helm of the country's leadership where he has served for a total of 32 years.

The results showed that Guy Brice Parfait Kolelas came second with 15 percent of the votes, Gen. Jean Marie Michel Mokoko was third with 13.89 percent while Claudine Munari, the only female candidate, came sixth with 1.65 percent of the votes cast.

The results will have to be validated by the Constitutional Court. Enditem