Let’s dive into the heart of political news! Today we look at the concerns expressed by several candidates in the December 2023 presidential election regarding the ongoing electoral process.
In a joint statement, six candidates – Martin Fayulu, Moïse Katumbi, Denis Mukwege, Seth Kikuni, Marie José Ifoku and Franck Diongo – raised important issues and called for an urgent meeting with the Independent National Electoral Commission (Céni) to ensure peaceful and transparent elections.
One of the main points raised concerns the display of electoral lists in each polling station, in accordance with the electoral law. Until now, the Ceni has only displayed these lists in a few branches in Kinshasa, raising concerns about the transparency of the electoral process.
Asked about this, the Electoral Commission acknowledged the delay but assured that the final electoral lists would be displayed in all polling stations before the elections. However, the candidates expressed their dissatisfaction with the lack of transparency of the CENI in the management of the electoral process, pointing out the financial, logistical and organizational issues which seem vague and likely to lead to a chaotic situation.
Among the candidates, Franck Diongo stood out for his intransigence. He particularly insists on the need to publish the electoral lists in each polling center and station, in order to allow better monitoring of the elections and to avoid any inflating of the names and number of voters. According to him, refusing the audit of the electoral register and not publishing the names of potential voters is tantamount to planning a chaotic election.
Furthermore, the candidates also requested the complete publication of the mapping of polling stations, as well as the geolocation of voting machines. Mapping would make it possible to know the number of voting centers per constituency across the entire national territory, as well as the number of polling stations allocated to each center. This information would be valuable when announcing results by polling station.
The Céni has already partially responded to this request by publishing the map online. However, its consultation and use remain complex for different stakeholders, as it is not yet available in downloadable and printable format.
On the other hand, the request for geolocation of voting machines is not a legal obligation, according to the Electoral Commission.
In conclusion, presidential candidates raise legitimate concerns about the ongoing electoral process. They call for greater transparency and concrete measures to ensure fair and peaceful elections. It is crucial that the CENI takes these concerns into account and acts accordingly in order to preserve the integrity of the democratic process.