Momentum builds around the Majority Elephant platform
Less than half a year separates the Republic of Congo from its next presidential election and, in Brazzaville, the mood is unmistakably pre-electoral. Party headquarters have resumed late-night meetings, itinerant caravans and the finely tuned choreography of candidate positioning. Within the ruling majority, preparations crystallise around an organism whose very name evokes mass and steadiness: the Elephant platform.
On 27 May, leaders of the parties allied to President Denis Sassou Nguesso adopted core texts—statutes and internal regulations—while renewing their pledge to work for his re-election. Their decision to retain the Elephant as logo reflects an organisational memory stretching back nearly two decades and a conviction that broad-based mobilisation requires a banner larger than any single formation.
Internal debates over timing of official launch
That consensus on symbolism does not erase tactical questions. Some strategists advocate waiting for the December congress of the Congolese Labour Party (PCT) before formally baptising the platform, arguing that the governing party’s internal debates must first run their course. Others counter that the congress, an affair centred on PCT housekeeping, should not delay a mechanism intended to federate all components of the presidential camp.
At stake is the precious calendar of voter registration. While electoral lists are being updated, the national coordination of the platform—headed by former CEMAC chair Pierre Moussa and seconded by Alphonse Claude N’Silou—has so far kept a low profile. Spokesperson Roland Bouity-Viodo nonetheless reiterated in May that majority leaders are “committed, in a spirit of consensus, to sustaining support for the Head of State until the forthcoming polls.” The gap between that declaration and a still-pending public launch fuels speculation among sympathisers eager for a clear rallying point.
Grass-roots initiatives vie for visibility
In the vacuum, independent currents have seized centre stage. Two citizen networks—“L’Affiche Le Patriarche” and “Le Timonier”—tour neighbourhoods brandishing portraits and slogans in homage to Denis Sassou Nguesso. The duelling initiatives enliven street corners, test campaign messaging and, to borrow theatrical parlance, ‘warm up the room’.
Yet veterans of past campaigns caution against confusing warm-up acts with the main attraction. For them, the President remains a political ‘missile’, and the platform the indispensable launch pad. Anything short of the official Elephant, they argue, risks reducing a long-range projectile to the dimensions of a flare.
Historical resonance of the Elephant symbol
Since the 2002 presidential race, the Elephant has embodied continuity inside the ruling coalition. Its image of calm strength, territorial reach and collective progress proved persuasive in successive campaigns. Member parties preserved their organisational autonomy while converging on shared objectives: victory at the polls and subsequent implementation of the presidential social project. For many activists the formula “never change a winning symbol” remains self-evident.
À retenir
The Elephant platform, whose founding documents are already signed, constitutes the strategic keystone of the majority’s electoral architecture. Divergent views on launch timing reflect tactical, not structural, tensions. Meanwhile, grass-roots enthusiasm signals a reservoir of mobilisation ready to be channelled once the coalition gives the starting signal.
Le point juridique/éco
From a legal standpoint, the platform operates as an association of parties, each retaining its personality yet pooling resources for campaign financing within the boundaries of Congolese electoral law. Financial transparency, adherence to ceilings on expenditure and respect for equal media access will test organisational rigour. Economically, the incumbent’s record—particularly on infrastructure and regional integration—will occupy centre stage. Supporters trust that a swiftly operational platform will enable a disciplined defence against critiques and a clear articulation of second-generation development pledges.