The Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is planning an external audit of the electoral register. This mission was entrusted to national and international experts in order to guarantee the transparency and credibility of the next elections in the DRC.
However, the CENCO-ECC electoral observation mission believes that the CENI should entrust the external audit of the electoral register to an independent international body. The CENI announced the start of work on the external audit, but the International Organization of La Francophonie (OIF) declined the offer, explaining that the deadline proposed by the CENI is too short to ensure a good job.
The two religious denominations also recommend that the CENI extend the deadline for the audit and favor a truly external audit, that is to say entrusted to an independent and experienced body.
However, the CENI asserts that the external audit mission will be carried out according to its schedule. This initiative aims to reassure the various stakeholders in the ongoing electoral process and to promote a consensus around the electoral register.
In short, the external audit of the electoral register is a crucial step for the credibility of the electoral process in the DRC. Public trust is at stake, and it is essential that the CENI sticks to the recommendations made by the CENCO-ECC electoral observation mission to guarantee the integrity and transparency of the results of these elections.