 On 24 September 2001, Milongo's candidacy for the next presidential election was announced by the Alliance for Democracy and Progress (ADP), a grouping of parties that supported him.Milongo accused the government of fraud in the January 2002 constitutional referendum, claiming that the "No" vote had actually won, and said that if he won the presidential election, he would initiate a "new political order" with a peace pact to end political violence and would allow all exiled politicians to return.On 8 March 2002, two days before the presidential election on 10 March, Milongo withdrew his candidacy, accusing Sassou Nguesso of rigging the vote.