The Democratic Republic of Congo is continuing its electoral process, with the aim of organizing the elections of December 20, 2023 in accordance with the electoral calendar of the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) published in November 2022. In this context, Prime Minister Sama Lukonde met with CENI President Denis Kadima Kazadi to discuss the government’s support for the implementation of the timetable for the electoral process. The CENI also indicated that an external audit of the electoral register was carried out and was qualified as reliable.
The CENI has already begun to harmonize the procedures for the reception and processing of applications, and announced for June 25, 2023 the convocation of the electorate to the national deputation. The various stakeholders are called upon to prepare the constituent elements of their files, in view of these crucial electoral deadlines.
Despite this, the political context remains very tense in the country. The opposition is repressed by the police, and numerous electoral disputes reveal ever-present political tensions. The Congolese authorities are also seeking to strengthen the army, in the face of Rwanda’s hegemonic ambitions.
In parallel, President Félix Tshisekedi traveled to China to renegotiate the contract of the century, with the aim of obtaining a fairer distribution of benefits for the DRC. He also accused Rwanda of being behind the teke yaka conflict in greater Bandundu.
Faced with this complex context, the Congolese opposition is trying to wake up and unite to make its voices heard. A promising media dynamic which must however be accompanied by a structured program to hope to move the lines in the near future