The President of the Independent National Electoral Commission of the Democratic Republic of Congo (CENI), Denis Kadima, recently expressed his wish to meet former President Joseph Kabila as part of consultations with political opposition leaders. However, this move was not well received by the People’s Party for Reconstruction and Democracy (PPRD), led by Kabila, which decided not to participate in the elections under current conditions.
Ferdinand Kambere, deputy permanent secretary of the PPRD, said that Denis Kadima did not have the competence or the quality to initiate such consultations with Joseph Kabila. He also stressed that such issues should instead be dealt with by Raymond Tshibanda, who is in charge of the crisis unit of the Common Front for Congo, a political coalition led by Kabila.
The PPRD has already expressed its prerequisites for participating in the elections, in particular the need for a consensual CENI and the recomposition of the Constitutional Court. They believe that the current CENI is contested and that changes must be made before a dialogue can be initiated.
Meanwhile, despite the security and financial risks mentioned by the CENI, the electoral process continues. The Offices for the reception and processing of applications are open and continue to receive applications for national deputies. This stage will be followed by the reception of the candidatures of the provincial deputies, then of the presidential election.
These operations are in line with the 2023-2024 electoral calendar made public in November 2022. However, the question of the legitimacy of the CENI continues to divide political actors, and efforts at dialogue and compromise will be necessary to guarantee inclusive and transparent elections. .
The political situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo therefore remains complex and constantly evolving. The consultations initiated by Denis Kadima are an example of the many challenges the country faces in its quest for political stability and democracy.
This article was written with the aim of keeping you informed of political news in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Stay tuned for further updates on this ongoing case