Congolese nationality and voting rights

In a democracy it is the primary sovereign who freely chooses his or her leaders through political elections. The exercise of the right to vote is therefore intimately linked to the democratic process and belongs in principle to all citizens who meet all the conditions required by law. It is for this reason that the exercise of the right to vote is said to be universal and equal since no discrimination is acceptable. However in the Republic of Congo the current situation which dates back to the adoption of the original electoral law in 2001 is unfortunately characterized by the inexplicable exclusion of certain Congolese citizens from the exercise of this fundamental and important democratic right. This publication demonstrates this and proposes some concrete avenues leading to the necessary reform of certain provisions of the electoral law.