“The preliminary report of the CENCO-ECC electoral observation mission in the DRC divides opinions on its impartiality”

The current affairs article we are going to cover today concerns the preliminary report of the CENCO-ECC electoral observation mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). As during each electoral cycle, the Catholic Church, through the National Episcopal Conference of Congo (CENCO), and the Protestant Church, represented by the Church of Christ in Congo (ECC), mobilized a large number of observers to fulfill their election observation mission.

However, this preliminary report surprised by its lack of criticism towards the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) and the government. Known for its positions often close to the opposition, the MOE CENCO-ECC report did not support the arguments of those who regularly denounce fraud and irregularities during elections in the DRC.

To everyone’s surprise, it was the CENI itself which was satisfied to note that the preliminary report of the MOE CENCO-ECC was in agreement with its own work. “All the missions converged in the same direction,” declared Denis Kadima, representative of the CENI, during a press interview.

In this preliminary report, the CENCO-ECC electoral observation mission welcomed the efforts made by the CENI and other actors involved in the electoral process to guarantee the holding of the polls on time. However, it also noted a number of irregularities which could compromise the integrity of the results in certain regions.

Faced with these irregularities, the MOE CENCO-ECC called on the CENI, the Constitutional Court and other competent bodies to take all necessary measures depending on the impact on the results of the election concerned.

This preliminary report therefore raises questions about the neutrality of religious organizations in the electoral process and their ability to denounce possible fraud that could have taken place. However, it should be noted that this report is only preliminary and more in-depth observations will certainly be made in the next stages of the electoral analysis.

In conclusion, the preliminary report of the CENCO-ECC electoral observation mission in the DRC elicited mixed reactions. While some welcome his lack of criticism of the CENI and the government, others raise questions about his impartiality. It remains to be seen how the electoral process will evolve in the coming weeks and how the final conclusions of the observation mission will be received by all the actors involved.