The Congolese opposition continues to challenge the credibility of the electoral process in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Moïse Katumbi, Martin Fayulu, Delly Sesanga and Augustin Matata Ponyo demanded, in a joint press release, the audit of the electoral register by a reputable international firm before the audit planned by the CENI. The opponents also want to know the real number of electoral kits ordered and place the provisional lists on the CENI website, center by center, constituency by constituency and province by province.
In their communication, the political quartet invited the CENI to respond to their appeal of April 27, in particular to the way in which it proceeded to make the file. Opposition members reminded CENI members that it is not their job to challenge stakeholders, let alone the Congolese people.
To avoid a new electoral hold-up in favor of Mr. Félix Tshisekedi, they will use all the democratic means at their disposal to obtain the departure of the members of the CENI if they persist in their will.
On May 20, the four leaders of the political opposition called on the Congolese to respond massively to their demonstration against the insecurity and the high cost of living in the country and to demand a fair and transparent electoral process.
The external audit of the electoral register is a crucial issue for the credibility of the electoral process in the DRC. After the refusal of the International Organization of La Francophonie to audit the electoral register, the CENI launched a call for tenders to recruit experts who will carry out the audit of the file.
If the government does not act quickly to address the concerns of the opposition, the electoral process in the Democratic Republic of Congo will struggle to bring together the entire population, further undermining the stability of the country and the credibility of the December poll. 2023