2035 Congress of North Africa election

The **2035 Congress of North Africa election** was held Saturday January 20, 2035 to elect members of the 2nd Congress of North Africa, and was the second congressional election to be held under the North African Federation, as well as the second election under the 2034 constitution of North Africa. It was also the first multiparty North African legislative election, and the first not to elect a majority of members from the African Federalist Party.

In March 2034, the North African Federation was formed as a union of nations in sub-Saharan Africa to pool sovereignty and resources in the face of expansionist aggression from the Bovido Imperium. Following the promulgation of a permanent constitution, a dual presidential election was held in late March to elect the president for the 2034-35 presidential term, and then their successor for the 2035-36 presidential term. After being elected president for the first term, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan presided over the increased integration of African states into the federation and the codification of specific federal and state powers through amendments to the constitution modelled off the United States constitution. However, whilst the governing African Federalist Party sought to establish a secular republican state in opposition to the Bovido Imperium, in late 2034 the newly formed Christian Loyalist Party began to rapidly expand in popularity as it mobilised the large Christian population of North Africa in opposition to secularism. On January 10, 2035, state level elections were held across the country; in many states, the CLP gained majorities in state legislatures, prompting President al-Burhan to cancel the results of the elections, which in turn boosted support for the CLP.

Simultaneous elections were held across all sixteen member states of the federation on January 20, 2035, with the general public being offered a free ballot on the composition of the Congress of North Africa, and thus indirectly electing the president of North Africa. Whilst the North African Federation under the leadership of President Abdel Fattah al-Burhan had succeeded in establishing a functioning government across the Sahel region of northern Africa, the government's centralisation of powers in the largely Islamic region of Sudan alienated many Christian voters, whilst the support given to regional dictators by the African Federalist Party, itself run by a former military strongman, discouraged opposition figures and pro-democracy activists. Similarly, Jean Bagasauo of the Christian Loyalist Party was a significant draw for the CLP and toured the country giving speeches and holding rallies during the electoral campaign.

Following the closing of ballot stations in the evening of January 20, 2035, the North African Electoral Board (NAEB) certified the results across the country and produced a complete list of elected representatives on January 25, 2035. Representatives were elected to single member first-past-the-post constituencies across 16 states, with each state receiving on average 37 seats, depending on population. The newly elected congress met for the first time in Omdurman on February 5, 2035 in order to elect a president for the 2036-37 term; the dominance of the Christian Loyalist Party in the election meant that Jean Bagasauo was elected as president-designate and took up office as vice president to President Yayi Boni on April 1, 2035. The 2ngd Congress of North Africa's tenure was marked by severe domestic crisis and upheaval; following Bagasauo's election as president-designate, supporters of the CLP across the country began rising up against local state governments and installing new regimes. The replacement of state-level figures allowed Bagasauo to orchestrate the impeachment of President Boni in May 2035, thereby allowing himself to assume the presidency. In August 2035, President Jean Bagasauo conducted a purge of the congress to remove 210 members of the African Federalist Party, replacing them with independent politicians from the armed forces or civil society. This purge of congress is considered the end of the second congress, and the convention of the newly appointed congress on August 20, 2035 is considered the first meeting of the third Congress of North Africa.