Constitutional Court appoints sworn medical board
In Brazzaville on 28 January 2026, the President of the Constitutional Court, Auguste Iloki, formally installed a panel of three sworn physicians mandated to examine the physical and mental health of candidates for the presidential election scheduled for 12 and 15 March 2026 (Journal de Brazza). The step, presented as an institutional milestone in the pre-electoral calendar, follows Decision No. 001/DDC/EL/PR/26 of 27 January 2026 (Journal de Brazza).
The medical board comprises Professor Donatien Moukassa, a pathologist; Dr Casimir Mabango, an anaesthetist and intensive care specialist; and Dr Tania Nganga, a general practitioner (Journal de Brazza). The Court designated the three practitioners to assess, within the framework defined by law, the candidates’ fitness to assume the functions of President of the Republic.
Presidential election rules: health certification as a legal requirement
According to the information made public at the ceremony, the examinations will result in the issuance of a medical certificate to each candidate attesting to their health status (Journal de Brazza). This requirement is grounded in the Constitution of 25 October 2015, which provides for the production of such certification as part of the eligibility file (Journal de Brazza).
The Court also recalled the applicable statutory basis. Article 48 of the electoral law requires that any declaration of candidacy be legalised and include, among other documents, a medical certificate issued by a board of three sworn doctors appointed by the Constitutional Court (Journal de Brazza). In practice, this provision positions the medical certificate as a procedural safeguard, intended to standardise eligibility documentation before the candidacy files proceed through the subsequent stages of review.
Election oversight: the Court’s role before, during and after the vote
During the installation, Auguste Iloki emphasised the Constitutional Court’s central place in the electoral process, stating that it intervenes “before, during and after the conduct of the election of the President of the Republic” (Journal de Brazza). The formulation highlights an institutional philosophy that treats electoral credibility as a continuum rather than a single polling-day event.
Within this continuum, the swearing-in of the medical board can be read as a practical expression of the Court’s upstream responsibilities: ensuring that formal requirements are operational, that timelines are known, and that candidates have access to the mechanisms required to complete their files. The approach also reflects a preference for institutional clarity, with defined roles assigned to designated professionals under oath.
Medical ethics and impartiality at the heart of the process
Addressing the physicians, the President of the Constitutional Court urged them to demonstrate “irreproachable impartiality” and to act in strict compliance with the Hippocratic Oath, the health professionals’ code of ethics, and the demands of their profession (Journal de Brazza). In a context where eligibility procedures can carry significant political sensitivity, the emphasis on deontology underlines an expectation that medical assessments remain strictly professional, evidence-based, and insulated from external considerations.
The very designation of sworn doctors by the Court, as described, is intended to consolidate confidence in the neutrality of the certificates delivered. It also frames the physicians’ task as one performed under a dual discipline: medical standards on the one hand, and the legal responsibilities associated with an oath in an institutional setting on the other.
Candidacy filing calendar and practical arrangements in Brazzaville
The candidacy filing period opened on 29 January 2026 and is scheduled to close on 12 February 2026 (Journal de Brazza). Over this interval, the sworn physicians are to receive candidates from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the headquarters of the Constitutional Court (Journal de Brazza).
These practical arrangements, as communicated, aim to align administrative deadlines with the availability of the mandated medical service. By setting specified hours and a single institutional venue, the Court provides a clear pathway for candidates to obtain the required documentation within the legally defined window.
More broadly, the sequence of Decision No. 001/DDC/EL/PR/26, the installation of the board, and the opening of the filing period illustrates a structured preparation for the 2026 presidential election, with procedures articulated in advance and anchored in constitutional and electoral provisions (Journal de Brazza).