Macroeconomic policy

Since 1997, President Sassou has established an authoritarian regime. He overthrew the current president, Pascal Lissouba who followed Sassou, but didn't bring much change or improvement.  Sassou prevented Lissouba and others from running in the election in 2002, accept for one opponent who withdrew from the race.  Sassou recieved 90% of the vote.  "A new constitution, agreed upon by referendum in January 2002, granted the president new powers, extended his term to seven years, and introduced a new bicameral assembly. International observers took issue with the organization of the presidential election as well as the constitutional referendum, both of which were reminiscent in their organization of Congo's era of the single-party state."
Information taken from Wikipedia.