The Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) of the DRC was congratulated in a joint declaration signed by the embassies and the delegation of the European Union in this country. Western partners praised the efforts made by CENI agents in the electoral process despite the many logistical and technical challenges to register millions of Congolese on the electoral list within the time allowed. Despite these congratulations, the Western partners say they have concerns that need to be addressed.
The first concern of the Western partners was raised about the electoral register which does not manage to sow the confidence of the stakeholders in the central electoral office. Indeed, the statement notes that the internal cleaning of the electoral register by the CENI and the audit that followed did not make it possible to reinforce the public’s perception of an independent and transparent control.
The Western partners, however, reaffirmed their desire to support the DRC and the Congolese population on the path to competitive, peaceful, inclusive and transparent elections in December 2023. They recommended that the CENI hold consultation frameworks with civil society and political parties to build the confidence of the population and put in place a process that responds to the aspirations of the Congolese while including all the diversity of this nation.
The joint declaration signed by the sixteen (16) embassies of Western countries and the delegation of the European Union proves that Western countries are closely following the development of democracy in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The implementation of good practices and compliance with international standards were topics discussed during this meeting, which followed, among other things, the summit of East African heads of state and the international community in order to discuss the security in eastern DRC.
In conclusion, the Western partners have shown their commitment to democracy and transparency in the electoral processes in the DRC while asking that the various stakeholders engage in a transparent and reactive manner to strengthen the confidence of the Congolese population in the results. of these efforts.
*Source of information: https://www.radiookapi