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| Congo backs Sassou Nguesso third-term bid by landslide | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| More than 92% of voters in Congo-Brazzaville's controversial referendum have approved constitutional changes to allow President Denis Sassou Nguesso to run for a third term, results show. | |
| Under the current constitution, the president has been unable to seek re-election because he is over the age of 70 and has already served two terms. | Under the current constitution, the president has been unable to seek re-election because he is over the age of 70 and has already served two terms. |
| The opposition say turnout was low and the vote should be annulled. | The opposition say turnout was low and the vote should be annulled. |
| However, official results put the turnout in Sunday's referendum at 72%. | However, official results put the turnout in Sunday's referendum at 72%. |
| More than 1.2 million people voted in favour of the change - 92.3% of voters - while nearly 102,000 rejected it, the electoral commission said. | |
| The opposition called for a boycott of the poll and one of its leaders described the official results as a "fraud". | The opposition called for a boycott of the poll and one of its leaders described the official results as a "fraud". |
| "From what we could see on the day of the vote, the announcement that turnout was more than 72% is extremely scandalous," Clement Mierassa told the AFP news agency. | "From what we could see on the day of the vote, the announcement that turnout was more than 72% is extremely scandalous," Clement Mierassa told the AFP news agency. |
| President Sassou Nguesso, 71, is one of Africa's longest-serving rulers, first coming to power in 1979 and ruling until 1992 when he lost elections. He returned as president in 1997 after a brief civil war and has since won two elections. | President Sassou Nguesso, 71, is one of Africa's longest-serving rulers, first coming to power in 1979 and ruling until 1992 when he lost elections. He returned as president in 1997 after a brief civil war and has since won two elections. |
| He is now coming to the end of his second seven-year term. | He is now coming to the end of his second seven-year term. |
| Tens of thousands of people took part in a peaceful demonstration against the referendum in September. | Tens of thousands of people took part in a peaceful demonstration against the referendum in September. |
| Four people died last week, when security forces dispersed angry protesters in the capital, Brazzaville, and the economic hub of Pointe-Noire. | Four people died last week, when security forces dispersed angry protesters in the capital, Brazzaville, and the economic hub of Pointe-Noire. |
| The election is due to take place in 2016. | The election is due to take place in 2016. |
| Africa's longest-serving leaders: | Africa's longest-serving leaders: |
| The arrogance of power | The arrogance of power |
| The Mobutu and Gaddafi effect | The Mobutu and Gaddafi effect |