The dynamics of citizen movements in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are deeply concerned about the current conduct of the electoral process. In a statement issued on June 1, the coalition of organizations such as LUCHA, Filimbi, the Congolese Debout and the Mouvement Justice en Action denounced the electoral pressure as well as the increasing restriction of civic space, thus putting the nation in danger. .
The controversial establishment of the office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) and the promulgation of a bespoke electoral law are concrete examples of this situation. According to Congolese citizens’ movements, the CENI and the power in place are conducting the electoral process without taking into account the demands and opinions of all stakeholders, mainly the opposition and civil society.
The controversial review of the draft law on the distribution of seats while the opposition and civil society reasonably dispute the electoral register which underlies it is an example of this. Faced with this situation, the dynamics of the citizens’ movements recommended the suspension of the examination of the bill on the distribution of seats to build a consensus around the electoral roll and the entire electoral process.
Thus, they ensure that the December 2023 elections are transparent, credible, peaceful, democratic and inclusive. In their press release, the coalition also invited the partner countries of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to stand on the side of the Congolese people by considering the taking of targeted sanctions against the political and military leaders who are involved in organizing botched elections and violating the civil liberties through repression.
This situation is a good illustration of the precariousness of civic space in the DRC. Citizen movements demand an inclusive, transparent and democratic electoral process. For them, the establishment of such elections is crucial for a democratic and stable DRC.