The Liberal Republican Party (PRL) was founded in 1991 by Nicéphore Fylla de Saint-Eudes, during the "second democratic era" of Congo. It adopted several founding principles, including
secularism,
democracy, a
controlled liberal economy,
environmental protection and the reduction of
inequalities. The party fielded a candidate in the
2002 presidential election,
Bonaventure Mizidy. He finished last out of seven candidates, with 1% of the vote. In
2009, its founding president, Fylla de Saint-Eudes, ran for president himself. He finished third out of thirteen candidates, with 6.98% of the vote. Although a member of the moderate opposition to
Denis Sassou-Nguesso, some Congolese have accused the PRL of having been created with the President's approval in order to divide the opposition votes during the elections. In April 2016, Nicéphore Fylla de Saint-Eudes was appointed Minister of Technical and Vocational Education, Skills Training and Employment in the . In July 2018, members of the opposition were asking him to clarify his position and that of his party. Paul Marie Mpouélé specifies in particular that "the presence of an opponent in the government obliges him to government solidarity. However, the opposition fights against the action of the government. One of its members can no longer be judge and party" , and recalls that the internal regulations of the Council of Political Parties stipulate that "any political party of the opposition which joins the government [...] loses the right to sit within the opposition". == References ==