Presidential election calendar confirmed in Brazzaville
The Republic of the Congo has fixed the first round of its presidential election for Sunday, March 15, 2026, following a decision adopted during a Council of Ministers session held on Tuesday, January 20, 2026. The meeting took place under the chairmanship of President Denis Sassou-Nguesso, according to the official account.
The Council of Ministers adopted a draft decree convening the electoral college for the presidential poll. The text was submitted by Raymond Zéphirin Mboulou, Minister of the Interior and Decentralization, who is responsible for organizing key administrative steps connected to the vote, as described in the same official report.
Candidacy filings open January 29 to February 12
In the days that followed the cabinet session, the Interior Ministry formalized the timetable for candidate submissions. On January 23, 2026, Minister Raymond Zéphirin Mboulou published an order setting the period for filing presidential candidacy applications from Thursday, January 29 to Thursday, February 12, 2026.
The same order specifies that the filing period closes at midnight on February 12. The ministerial text frames this window as part of the broader preparation for the March 2026 vote, which includes both an early ballot for some voters and the nationwide general vote.
Early voting for Force publique set for March 12
The Council of Ministers also set a distinct early voting day for members of the Force publique. According to the schedule cited in the cabinet account, the Force publique will vote by anticipation on Thursday, March 12, 2026, across the national territory.
The general vote, open to the wider electorate, is scheduled for Sunday, March 15, 2026. In the government’s calendar as presented in the report, these two dates structure the final phase of election preparations, including campaign rules and logistics for polling operations.
Campaign period and electoral silence day detailed
For the first round, the campaign is set to run from Saturday, February 28 to Friday, March 13, 2026, the cabinet account says. This timeline is intended to provide candidates time to present platforms and hold meetings within the legal campaign window.
The same account notes a day of “electoral silence” on Thursday, March 12, 2026. That date is aligned with the early voting of the Force publique, with the stated purpose of allowing voting operations for those agents to proceed under a calmer political atmosphere.
Why the March 15 date replaced earlier plans
The Interior Ministry had initially planned different dates for the presidential vote. The first plan cited in the report set Force publique voting for March 17, 2026, and the general vote for March 22, 2026, before the calendar was revised through the cabinet process.
The change is linked to the meaning of March 22 in the national memory. The date corresponds to the anniversary of the assassination of Cardinal Émile Biayenda, and the general vote was therefore moved forward to March 15, as presented in the same administrative narrative.
Electoral lists updated; voter cards now being prepared
Beyond headline dates, electoral administration is also moving through technical steps that often decide the smoothness of election day. The revision of electoral lists, carried out from September 1 to October 30, 2025, has now been completed, according to the information provided.
Attention is now shifting to producing and sorting voter cards. The process described involves organizing cards by arrondissement, district, neighborhood, zone, block, or village, then distributing them to voters. These steps, while less visible, are central to participation and orderly polling.
Medical panel designation still pending for candidate checks
The Interior Ministry’s order also points to a remaining procedural task involving eligibility checks. It notes that the National Order of Doctors and the Independent National Electoral Commission, known as CNEI, still need to designate three sworn doctors.
These doctors are tasked with certifying the physical and mental condition of candidates for the presidential election, as stated in the same ministerial order referenced in the administrative update. The designation is presented as part of the compliance framework surrounding candidacies.
A structured timeline shaping a high-stakes national moment
Taken together, the decree convening voters, the candidacy filing period, the campaign window, and the dual voting dates outline a structured electoral sequence. The government’s communications emphasize continuity in administrative planning, while leaving room for institutions to complete remaining formal steps.
As preparations move from legal texts to on-the-ground implementation, citizens and political actors will be watching practical details closely, from card distribution to the conduct of early and general voting. The timeline, now fixed, sets the rhythm for the first round on March 15, 2026.