"82-year-old President Denis Sassou Nguesso kicked off his election campaign on Saturday in Brazzaville, as he is running for a fifth consecutive term under the banner of the Congolese Labour Party (PCT) and a coalition of nearly 20 parties known as the 'Presidential Majority.' Footage filmed on Saturday shows Nguesso addressing supporters during the election rally. "The infrastructure that will be put in place will boost a significant part of the economic activity of the Congo Basin toward the port of Pointe-Noire. Pointe-Noire will thus experience real growth," Nguesso told supporters. In his election campaign, Nguesso pitched Pointe-Noire as the Congo Basin's 'gateway,' framing the port and its special economic zone as the centrepiece of a push to move Congo-Brazzaville beyond oil. The expanded hub can draw foreign investment, generate transit revenue by serving landlocked neighbours and deliver jobs in the country's economic capital, while positioning Congo to tap into wider regional projects and 'green growth' supply chains. Supporters of the ruling Congolese Labour Party (PCT) expressed confidence in Nguesso. "This morning, we received one single instruction from our great comrade Denis Sassou Nguesso, presidential candidate. He said this: on March 15, from 8 am, everyone must be at the polling station. By 12 noon, we will have finished voting," a PCT supporter said. Nguesso's campaign is built around 'stability, continuity and wisdom,' casting his long rule as a safeguard against the wave of coups and instability seen in other African countries. The presidential election is taking place in a particularly tense political climate, as the opposition condemns Nguesso's 40 years in power. The Constitutional Court cleared seven candidates to run for presidency, including Nguesso. Among the challengers are Joseph Kignoumbi Kia Mboungou and Anguios Nganguia Engambe, both veterans of previous election races. On February 5, Nguesso officially announced his candidacy for the Congolese presidential elections, with the first round scheduled to take place on March 15, 2026."