The Democratic Republic of Congo is currently in a pivotal period in its history. The five-year term of President Félix Tshisekedi ends in six months and the question of the quality of the elections scheduled for December 20 is not yet resolved.
While the presidential majority seems determined to organize the elections at all costs, the political opposition, civil society and the international community are concerned about their quality and impartiality. President Tshisekedi must therefore make a crucial choice for the future of the Democratic Republic of Congo: favor a political transition to stabilize the electoral process or organize disputed elections in strict compliance with the constitutional deadline.
In the meantime, the Democratic Republic of the Congo is in the midst of an anticipated electoral campaign. Supporters of President Tshisekedi are omnipresent in towns across the country, while opposition candidates are also launching their campaigns. The months of June, July, August and September promise to be highly political.
President Tshisekedi must make a difficult choice between granting a new constitutional mandate to his benefit, supported by the Sacred Union, or taking into account the opinion of the political opposition and the international community to find a political consensus before the elections are held.
In addition, the presidential majority has engaged in a logic of electoral forcing, which risks leading to an unmanageable contestation of the results. However, the option of a shift in mandate risks destabilizing the country and Congolese democracy.
The Democratic Republic of Congo must therefore put in place measures to guarantee the smooth running of the electoral campaign and the organization of transparent, credible and peaceful elections to allow a peaceful political transition in the interest of all.