Constitution

Republic of the Congo 2001 Constitution

Table of Contents

TITLE I. OF THE STATE AND OF SOVEREIGNTY

Article 1

The Republic of the Congo is a sovereign, indivisible, secular, social and democratic State.

Its capital is Brazzaville

Article 2

The principle of the Republic is: Government of the people, by the people and for the people.

Article 3

The national sovereignty belongs to the people who exercise it by means of universal suffrage, by their elected representatives or by way of referendum.

The exercise of sovereignty may not be the work, of one citizen, or of one fraction of the people.

Article 4

Suffrage is universal, direct or indirect, free, equal and secret.

The mode of election, the conditions of eligibility, as well as the incompatibilities are established by the law.

Article 5

The national emblem is the tricolor flag, of green, yellow, and red. Of rectangular form, it is composed of two right-angled triangles of green and red color, separated by a yellow band in diagonal, the green being on the side of the pole. The law specifies the dimensions, the tones of the colors and the other details of the flag.

Article 6

The national anthem is “La Congolaise [the Congolese]”.

The motto of the Republic is “Unité, Travail, Progrès [Unity, Work, Progress]”.

The seal of the State and the coat-of-arms of the Republic are determined by the law.

The official language is French.

The national vehicular languages are Lingala and Kituba.