Republic of Congo President Denis Sassou Nguesso has urged the country's international partners to respect its sovereignty, with regards to the forthcoming presidential elections.

The president was speaking on Wednesday in Brazzaville during a meeting with ambassadors accredited to the country who had come to deliver their New Year messages.

"On March 20, 2016, the people will go to the ballot to freely choose the president who will lead the country for the next five years. This is why I want to urge all our bilateral and multilateral partners to respectfully support the Republic of Congo and its people in the forthcoming elections that will be free and fair," Sassou Nguesso said.

"The expression of sovereignty by the Congolese people should be respected and supported by all friends of Congo. We urge you, the true friends of Congo, to strongly support this expression of independence and freedom," he reiterated.

Since the announcement of the date for the first round of the presidential elections, some major Congolese political parties have heightened activities, whereas others do not seem concerned.

This is the situation with the presidential majority camp which has multiplied meetings to put in place a winning strategy for its candidate who will be named soon.

However, since the announcement of the election, the two radical opposition coalitions said they were ready to participate in the elections on condition that there is consensus on preparation, organization and holding of the elections, as well as announcement of the results.

The opposition has demanded the establishment of a truly independent electoral commission, electronic identification of voters, use of biometric ballot papers and compilation of a reliable electoral register with support from international organizations.

A third grouping, comprising of other opposition political parties, said on Tuesday it was not going to participate in the March presidential elections, which it termed as a farce aimed at extending the term of the incumbent president. Enditem

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