The electoral process in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is highly controversial and marred by irregularities. Several reports mention problems such as the late deployment of equipment in polling stations, physical violence observed in certain centers and the malfunction of Electronic Voting Devices (Dev). These irregularities call into question the transparency and integrity of the electoral process.
Some political actors, like Martin Fayulu, presidential candidate, believe that these irregularities could have been avoided if the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) had agreed to postpone the elections by 7 to 10 days. According to them, this would have helped resolve logistical problems and ensure more transparent and peaceful elections.
In a statement to ACTUALITE.CD, Martin Fayulu said: “If Dénis Kadima wanted to organize transparent and peaceful elections, he should have asked for a postponement of a week or 10 days. The elections could have been held even on December 30, as in 2018. This would have made it possible to deploy the materials in all the polling stations. He didn’t do it just because he was planning chaos.”
Catherine Samba-Panza, head of mission of the international election observation mission, also expressed concerns about logistical problems during the elections. She maintains that the postponement could have avoided these difficulties. According to her, it would have been wise to make this shift upstream of the electoral process.
Faced with these irregularities and the dispute over the quality of the elections, Martin Fayulu, Dénis Mukwege, Théodore Ngoy, Jean-Claude Baende and Nkema Liloo plan to form a coalition with the Katumbi camp to demand the cancellation and reorganization of the elections. A large demonstration is planned for December 27 in Kinshasa with the aim of asserting this demand.
The stakes are high for the DRC, because these presidential elections are considered a key moment in the democratic consolidation of the country. It is essential that the electoral process takes place in a transparent and credible manner in order to guarantee the legitimacy of the future president.
Faced with protests and calls to cancel the elections, it is essential that the competent authorities, notably the CENI, take into account the concerns raised and act in a fair and transparent manner to restore confidence in the electoral process.
The DRC deserves fair, democratic and transparent elections. It is essential that all stakeholders engage in constructive dialogue to find solutions that will ensure a true expression of the will of the Congolese people. The political future of the country depends on it.
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