Club 2002 – Party for the Unity and the Republic

Club 2002 – Party for the Unity and the Republic is a political party in the Republic of the Congo that is part of Denis Sassou Nguesso's presidential majority and is currently led by Juste Désiré Mondélé.

Club 2002 – Party for the Unity and the Republic Club 2002 - Parti pour l’Unité et la République
Abbreviation	Club 2002-PUR
Secretary-General	Juste Désiré Mondélé
Founder	Wilfrid Nguesso
Founded	30 January 2002 (2002-01-30)
National Assembly	2 / 151
Senate	1 / 72
Political parties Elections

History

The movement was founded on 30 January 2002, by Wilfrid Nguesso, a nephew of President Denis Sassou Nguesso.^[1] Initially the Club 2002 was a political association, but in 2007 it was transformed into a political party and "Party for the Unity and the Republic" was added to its name. On 17 July 2007, the Consensus for Change and Development, a political association, merged with the Club 2002, while the Organization for the Development of the Land of Alima Como Ndzaléitsé, another political association, became an affiliated association of the Club 2002.^[2]

In the parliamentary election held on 24 June and 5 August 2007, the party won 3 out of 137 seats.^[2][3]

Wilfrid Nguesso was a very religious man who was known to invoke his Christian faith during party meetings. At a meeting to mark Club 2002's 12th anniversary on 30 January 2014, Nguesso announced his decision to dissolve the party because he believed God wanted him to abandon politics and work as a pastor.^[4] At the urging of party members, Nguesso subsequently rescinded his decision, however. At Club 2002's first extraordinary congress, held on 16–17 May 2014, a new advisory body headed by Nguesso, the Supervisory Board, was created. Now heading an advisory body, Nguesso said that this enabled him "to reconcile my political responsibilities and my pastoral mission".^[5][6] At the congress, he peppered his words with religious invocations.^[5]

Electoral history

National Assembly elections

Election	Party leader	Votes	%	Seats	+/–	Position	Result
2007	Wilfred Nguesso			3 / 137	New	6th	Coalition (PCT–MCDDI–MAR–MSD–Club 2002–AGIR–UPDP)
2012				1 / 139	2	12th	Coalition (PCT-MCDDI-RDPS-MAR-UR-Club 2002)
2017	Juste Désiré Mondelé			1 / 151	0	10th	Coalition (PCT-MAR-RDSP-Club 2002)
2022				2 / 151	1	6th	Coalition (PCT-MAR-Club 2002-RDPS)

References

1. "Sassou Nguesso seul en scène", Congopage website, October 31, 2004 (in French).
2. Gankama N'Siah, "De l'eau au moulin du Club 2002-PUR", Les Dépêches de Brazzaville, 7 December 2007 (in French).
3. For detailed results see Republic of the Congo parliamentary election, 2007 and "L'alliance présidentielle occupe 125 des 137 sièges parlementaires", Xinhua, August 25, 2007 (in French).
4. Cyr Armel Yabbat-Ngo and Noëllie Bouanga, "Club 2002-P.u.r (Parti pour l’unité et la République) : Guy Wilfrid César Nguesso dissout son parti pour se consacrer au ministère de Dieu" Archived 2014-02-22 at the Wayback Machine, La Semaine Africaine, 4 February 2014 (in French).
5. Roger Ngombé, "Vie des partis : Guy César Wilfrid Nguesso, entre politique et religion", ADIAC, 19 May 2014 (in French).
6. Pascal-Azad Doko, "Premier congrès extraordinaire du Club 2002-P.u.r : Elu président du conseil de surveillance, Wilfrid Guy César Nguesso entend concilier responsabilités politiques et mission pastorale" Archived 2014-05-23 at the Wayback Machine, La Semaine Africaine, 20 May 2014 (in French).