The Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) of Congo has announced the convocation of the electorate for the national legislative elections for June 25, 2023, despite protests from the Congolese opposition. This decision was made in accordance with the electoral calendar published on November 26, 2022, and interested candidates are invited to apply between June 26 and July 15, 2023.
The conditions for being a candidate are as follows: to be of Congolese nationality, to be at least 25 years old, to enjoy full civil and political rights, to be registered on the electoral lists or to be able to register, and to have a diploma higher or university studies or provide proof of five years’ professional experience in the political or socio-economic field.
Political parties, legally constituted political groups and independent candidates are invited to prepare their candidacy file in accordance with electoral law.
Despite protests from the opposition, the CENI remains determined to hold the elections as planned. Political parties and independent candidates should therefore be ready to participate in the electoral process within the given time frame.
In this dynamic, the CENI through its rapporteur, Patricia Nseya, gave details on the documents to be provided for a candidacy for the national legislative elections. Candidates must provide a letter of consent confirmed by the CENI, an identity card followed by a CV, four passport-size photos, a photocopy of the voter’s card, a photocopy of the birth certificate or birth certificate, proof of payment of application fees, a letter of nomination from the candidate, and a certified photocopy of the diploma of higher education or university or of the certificate justifying professional experience.
In sum, the CENI continues to move towards the organization of national legislative elections despite the obstacles posed by the Congolese opposition. Interested candidates must therefore prepare themselves if they want to represent their country in the National Assembly