Civic momentum builds in Ouenzé
Standing before a chalk-dust courtyard at the Immaculée Conception school complex, Juste Désiré Mondélé quietly scanned the voter rolls then raised his laminated receipt in the air. The gesture marked more than a personal errand; it launched an energetic push for electoral enrollment across Brazzaville’s populous Ouenzé district.
Chosen in 2022 to represent Ouenzé’s first constituency at the National Assembly, Mondélé doubles as secretary-general of the presidential-majority Club 2002-PUR. Visiting the center on day five of the national voter-list revision, he praised the Ministry of Interior for “acting early, in line with global democratic standards,” he said.
September’s revision follows the recent general census, whose database now underpins the biometric register. Citizens discovering omissions can add their names, while those who migrated may update addresses. “These are the necessary pre-electoral acts that modern nations perform,” Mondélé explained, pointing to laptops whirring under ceiling fans today.
Party leadership rallies base
The call to act spread quickly through Ouenzé’s sandy lanes. By mid-morning a loose line of market vendors, mechanics, teachers and pensioners curved around the gate. Whispered reminders—from church groups, party cells, even neighborhood WhatsApp forums—reinforced a message: register now to protect tomorrow’s vote for each citizen’s voice.
Inside, a three-person local commission verified identity documents, captured fingerprints and snapped digital portraits against a powder-blue screen. Commissioner Yoan Pandzou reported “about thirty new inscriptions and forty address corrections so far.” He welcomed the lawmaker’s presence as “a catalyst driving higher footfall to this classroom-turned-bureau,” all day.
Across town, similar scenes unfolded in nearly 5,000 enrollment points, according to preliminary ministry tally sheets. Officials note that the operation, running until 30 September, aims to consolidate a register expected to top two million electors—roughly mirroring the 2021 presidential turnout baseline set before pandemic-era restrictions dampened participation levels.
Club 2002-PUR regards the revision as a strategic moment. “Politics is built with militants, not only elites in soft lounges,” Mondélé told reporters, borrowing a proverb. He urged branch coordinators to phone members, arrange motorcycle convoys and accompany elders requiring assistance, so no supporter is left off-roll this season.
Youth and first-time voters respond
The appeal dovetails with the wider civic education campaign led by the Independent National Election Commission. Radio spots in Lingala and Kituba, aired after evening news bulletins, stress that a voter card also serves as a recognized identity document, easing bank transactions and travel within Central African borders.
For many young Congolese, however, the motivation is simpler: having a say. Student Glory B., clutching a backpack full of lecture notes, said he brought his passport and left with a receipt in under ten minutes. “I just want my voice to count; the process felt transparent,” he added.
Womens’ associations in Ouenzé likewise mobilized. Mama Clarisse, who heads a cassava-flour collective, organized members into staggered groups to limit downtime at the stalls. “We cannot complain about bread-and-butter issues if we don’t participate,” she said, noting that possession of a card could later facilitate access to microcredit schemes.
Inside the enrollment center operations
Behind the scenes, technicians troubleshoot occasional power dips by switching to solar kits supplied during the census. Tablets automatically upload encrypted data to a central server via fiber links installed last year. Election-support partners say the configuration reduces duplication risks and accelerates printing of definitive cards in regional hubs.
Opposition figures have historically questioned roll accuracy, yet many now encourage attendance, arguing that oversight begins with inscription. Analyst Armand Mabiala notes that early activity this year “could ease tensions ahead of municipal contests scheduled in 2024, provided transparency benchmarks remain visible at every step of the process.”
Government officials echo that sentiment. A senior Interior Ministry adviser, speaking on condition of background, said daily dashboards allow provincial governors to flag anomalies immediately. “The president has insisted on inclusive lists,” the adviser affirmed, citing directives circulated after last month’s cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Anatole Collinet Makosso.
In Ouenzé, the atmosphere stayed festive long after Mondélé departed for parliamentary duties. A drummer from the local cultural troupe improvised rhythms as registrants compared purple ink stains. Vendors of iced hibiscus juice did brisk trade, turning civic duty into an unexpected micro-economy on a sweltering equinox afternoon.
Looking ahead to polls
Asked about the next phase, Pandzou pointed to stacks of blank plastic cards awaiting lamination. Once headquarters validates data, machines at the center will personalize each card within sixty seconds. Residents will receive text alerts to collect them, limiting queues and reinforcing confidence in the technology, officials promised.
With three weeks remaining, organizers predict turnout will intensify as payday approaches and urban commuters combine shopping trips with registration. Mondélé plans additional walk-abouts in Bacongo and Poto-Poto. His message remains consistent: “Verify, enroll, vote.” For many Congolese, that sequence now feels tangible, methodical and distinctly within reach.
