1992 Republic of the Congo parliamentary election

Parliamentary elections were held in the Republic of the Congo in 1992, along with a presidential election, marking the end of the transition to multiparty politics. The election was held in two rounds, the first on 24 June 1992 and the second on 19 July 1992. The Pan-African Union for Social Democracy (UPADS)—led by Pascal Lissouba, who won the presidential election—won a plurality of seats (39),[1] while the Congolese Movement for Democracy and Integral Development (MCDDI) of second place presidential candidate Bernard Kolélas won the second highest number of seats (29). Following in third place was the Congolese Labor Party (PCT), which had been the ruling party during single-party rule.[2]

The PCT backed Lissouba at the time of the election, giving the pro-Lissouba National Alliance for Democracy (AND) coalition a slight parliamentary majority (64 out of 125 seats). However, when Lissouba gave the PCT only three posts in the 28-member government he appointed in September 1992,[2] the PCT (which wanted one-third of the portfolios[3]) broke with Lissouba and instead allied with the Union for Democratic Renewal (URD) opposition coalition, which was led by Kolélas. This defection deprived Lissouba of his majority.[2][3]

With an opposition majority in the National Assembly, the PCT's André Mouélé was elected as President of the National Assembly on September 24; the PCT and the URD formally signed an alliance on September 30.[3] The opposition majority rejected the government appointed by Lissouba, which was led by Prime Minister Stéphane Maurice Bongho-Nouarra,[2][3] in a vote of no confidence on October 31,[4] and it demanded the appointment of a new Prime Minister from the parliamentary majority, as required by the constitution.[3] Rather than do so, Lissouba dissolved the National Assembly.[2][3] The URD and PCT protested this, and despite Lissouba's desire to leave Bongho-Nouarra in office during the interim period leading to a new election, he agreed under pressure to appoint a coalition government in which 60% of the posts were held by the URD and PCT (the "60/40" government of Prime Minister Claude Antoine Dacosta). Six months later, a new parliamentary election was held in June 1993.[2]

Results

Party		Votes	%	Seats	+/–
	Pan-African Union for Social Democracy			39	New
	Congolese Movement for Democracy and Integral Development			29	New
	Congolese Party of Labour			18	–115
	Rally for Democracy and Social Progress			9	New
	Rally for Democracy and Development			5	New
	Union of Democratic Forces			3	New
	Union for Social Progress and Democracy			2	New
	African Movement for Social Renaissance			1	New
	National Party			1	New
	Union for Christian Democracy			1	New
	Democratic and Patriotic Forces			1	New
	National Rally for Democracy and Progress			1	New
	Union for Progress			1	New
	Union for National Recovery			1	New
	National Union for Democracy and Progress			1	New
	National Committee for Democracy and Development			1	New
	Republican Party for the Defence of Congo			1	New
	National Democratic Alliance			1	New
	Forum for Democracy and Solidarity			1	New
	Independents			8	New
Total				125	–8
Source: Nohlen et al.

References

1. Dieter Nohlen, Michael Krennerich & Bernhard Thibaut (1999) Elections in Africa: A data handbook, p272 ISBN 0198296452
2. John F. Clark, "Congo: Transition and the Struggle to Consolidate", in Political Reform in Francophone Africa (1997), ed. John F. Clark and David E. Gardinier, pages 70–72.
3. Joachim Emmanuel Goma-Thethet, "Alliances in the political and electoral process in the Republic of Congo 1991–97", in Liberal Democracy and Its Critics in Africa: Political Dysfunction and the Struggle for Social Progress (2005), ed. Tukumbi Lumumba-Kasongo, Zed Books, page 110–113.
4. IPU-PARLINE page on the 1992 parliamentary election.