Congolese Vote in Legislative Elections

Congolese voters went to the polls on Sunday for the first round of legislative elections expected to maintain an overwhelming majority for allies of longtime President Denis Sassou Nguesso.

More than two million people are eligible to vote in the first round of the poll in the oil-rich central African country, which has been open to multiparty politics since 1991 but wracked by two civil wars in which Sassou Nguesso, an army colonel, played a prominent role.

Most polling stations opened at 7:00 am (0600 GMT) and were to close at 6:00 pm.

More than 1,200 candidates including 124 women are vying for 135 seats.

Sassou-Nguesso's Congolese Labor Party (PCT) and its allies have a massive majority in the outgoing parliament, while the opposition has just 12 seats.

The last parliamentary elections in 2007 were marred by irregularities and fraud denounced by the African Union, which is sending about 30 observers to monitor the poll, along with the Economic Community of Central African States.

A second round of voting is due on August 5.