Management of funds linked to elections in the DRC: towards greater transparency and accountability
The issue of transparency in the management of funds linked to elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) raises serious concerns. The citizen movement “Congo is not for sale” (CNPAV) recently pointed out the opacity surrounding the financial management of the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI).
According to the CNPAV, it is incomprehensible that the CENI has never developed an overall budget for the elections just three months before the election. This lack of visibility makes citizen control difficult and complex, thus depriving citizens of the right to exercise their citizenship by actively participating in the electoral process.
The CENI’s financial report for the year 2022 was also criticized by the CNPAV. He deplores the lack of disaggregation of information, making it difficult to precisely monitor the institution’s financial operations. In addition, certain essential information, such as the accounting and financial inventory, as well as the cash position, are missing from the report.
The lack of clarity in electoral operations constitutes a major problem, leading to tensions between the CENI and the Ministry of Finance. To ensure transparency and accountability, the CNPAV urges the CENI to develop an overall budget for the electoral process and to publish detailed reports of operations carried out since 2022.
The publication of these disaggregated reports would allow the population to benefit from a global vision of electoral operations, thus promoting adequate citizen monitoring. Furthermore, this would allow Parliament and the Court of Auditors to carry out more effective controls within the CENI, thus helping to strengthen the transparency and credibility of the electoral process.
The CNPAV also underlines the importance for the CENI to make public all information relating to the use of funds received and to respect public procurement procedures. These measures would ensure transparent and accountable management of election funds, thereby eliminating any suspicion of corruption or misuse of financial resources.
In conclusion, it is imperative to establish more transparency and accountability in the management of funds linked to elections in the DRC. The publication of an overall budget, detailed reports describing financial operations and compliance with administrative procedures are essential steps to ensure trust and legitimacy of the electoral process. Congolese citizens have the right to know how public funds are used to guarantee free and fair elections.