The main opposition candidate in the Republic of Congo's presidential election, Andre Milongo, is calling on his supporters to boycott Sunday's first-round voting. 

Mr. Milongo, a former prime minister, says the Brazzaville government has not met conditions for a fair election. Speaking to his supporters at a rally on Friday in the capital, he asked them not to take part in the voting. 

Congo's national electoral commission is reported to have said that all the opposition's demands have been met. Mr. Milongo, however, says observers from opposition parties are not being allowed to watch the voting at all polling places. He also complains that separate ballot papers are being used for each candidate, instead of a single ballot sheet listing all candidates. 

Despite the call for a boycott, Mr. Milongo has not said directly whether he is dropping out of the race. He is one of six challengers to the incumbent president, Denis Sassou-Nguesso, who took power in a military coup in 1997. 

Mr. Sassou-Nguesso first came to power in an earlier military coup, in 1979. He was voted out of office in 1992 - the last previous presidential election in the Republic of Congo. The country was swept by civil war after the coup that returned Mr. Sassou-Nguesso to power five years ago, but a cease-fire accord has been in effect since late 1999. 

Some information for this report provided by AP and AFP.

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