During one of his recent trips to Kinshasa, the European Commissioner for Justice, Didier Reynders, met the President of the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Denis Kadima Kazadi, as well as as its two Vice-Presidents, Bienvenu Ilanga Lembow and Didi Manara Linga. The discussion focused on the support of the European Union in the upcoming electoral process, in particular the observation mission for the elections scheduled for December 20, 2023.
During this meeting, Didier Reynders reaffirmed the European Union’s commitment to supporting the electoral process in the DRC. He stressed the importance of the transparency and credibility of the elections, highlighting two points of particular interest: the way in which the electoral lists will be communicated to citizens so that they can verify their presence, and the publication of the results. , considered polling station by polling station.
Didier Reynders was in favor of the participation of the European Union through his own election observation mission. He stressed the importance of confidence in the electoral process and in the results, and welcomed the commitment of the President of the CENI to guarantee elections in the best possible conditions.
The European Commissioner also mentioned the logistical challenge of registering voters in a country as vast as the DRC. He expressed his confidence in the publication of the electoral lists by the end of October, thus allowing citizens to verify their presence.
In conclusion, the meeting between Didier Reynders and CENI officials highlighted the European Union’s desire to support the electoral process in the DRC and ensure its transparency and credibility. The EU’s participation in the election observation mission is under discussion, and logistical and technical support for electoral preparations is at the heart of the concerns. The publication of voter lists and results polling station by polling station will be a key element in building confidence in the electoral process.